The Sun's Awakening
by The Wing Alchemist
Summary: Amy is a painter. Ross is a traveler from "far away". When these two meet, their world, Aetas, begins to tilt towards destruction. Meanwhile, a mysterious girl shows up on Destiny Islands. Who is she? T for violence in chap. 5. Painting inspired by Okami
1. Amy

Hey readers! It's The Wing Alchemist again! I finally felt satisfied enough to put up this Kingdom Hearts fan fiction! Please don't flame, this is still a rough version. RxR if you like, or even fav it so I know you're reading it! Anyway, here's a summary:

Aetas is a city that never sees the sun. The light is always behind the rainclouds. Amy is a average girl who works at the castle in the gardens. She paints in her spare time, but hasn't had any inspiration of late. When she meets Ross, a handsome noble from far away, she's caught up in something that many poeple would call blasphemy. And she begins to paint again, but of what, she has no clue...

Back on Destiny Island, everything is peaceful. Sora, Riku, and Kairi are in their senior year of highschool, and they are currently part of a huge festival that happens only once every ten years; the Festival of the Sun, Moon, and Star. But as they begin setting everything up, they find a mysterious girl in the Secret Place. Who is she, and why does she look like that?

* * *

Chapter 1: Amy

There's a story of a boy named Sora who saved all the worlds from darkness. He, with his friends, banished the darkness from the world of the light, ultimately giving every world back their brilliance. He was strong boy, with a heart of gold. He originally set out to seek his friends, Riku and Kairi, but ended up doing so much more than saving them.

Now he resides in Destiny Islands, where he is currently enrolled in his high school with his friends. It has been this way for a long time. Almost a year, but that is all to change. But first, something is happening on a neighboring world…

* * *

Amy sloshed her way down the rainy street, holding her hood up over her head for protection. The rain had already soaked her brown hair to the roots, but she didn't care. She just had to get home in time for the curfew. If was caught outside without her ID card, they'd throw her in the dungeons for a night. Again. She'd had that happen two or three times, but after four it was a serious offence. If the law, and the curfew, was broken more than three times, the perpetrator would be executed or exiled, depending upon the person's achievements.

Amy turned the corner and ducked into the first doorway, pressing her back against the uncomfortable steel frame as the guards passed by without a sound. They looked straight at her, but the shadows hid her well.

When they were gone, she began running until she came to her destination. It was a small, three-floor loft squished between two larger buildings. She pulled her key out of her pocket and pushed it into the lock, slipping inside as another group of guards passed by.

"I'm home!" she called out, not really expecting an answer. Her brother worked nights, and she was usually home alone until dawn.

She hung her coat in the bathroom and pulled her soggy clothes off, careful not to touch the wounds on her back from her last offence, which had only been three days ago. The sores were still tender, and she'd nearly screamed when someone had tapped her on the shoulder. Those guards in the castle were brutal, but not when she was working.

She worked as a gardener in the castle, tending to the flowerbeds in the upper courtyard. She'd catch glimpses of the royal family almost everyday, but they never saw her. It was as if she was invisible. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. By being invisible, she'd managed to avoid numerous curfew conflicts.

She pulled her pajamas on slowly and went into the living room, kicking pillows across the room so she could lie on the couch. She turned the TV on and yawned.

"-and today is the prince's birthday party, here in out very own city of Aetas. He turns 17 in a few hours, so keep-"

"We won't be in touch," Amy grumbled, changing the channel.

"Today's talk will be about global flooding-"

"Boring…next,"

Amy flipped the channel to see a man with silver hair on it, a scar visible just above the hem of his black shirt.

"Yes, I have seen other worlds," he said simply. "I have seen one that looks like a dark city, I've seen one bathed in twilight, and there was also…an island."

"An island, sir?"

"Yes. It was rather lovely."

"But what does it have to do with the boy?"

"Boy?" Amy repeated to herself.

"Well, he lived there. His friend opened the door to darkness, and the island was destroyed in a storm."

"How sad."

"But…the island was restored by the boy himself. He gave the universe back its light, and the darkness retreated."

"So he lives there now?"

"Yes. That is true. It's been a year since I've seen him, but I doubt he'd want to see me."

"Were you an acquaintance of Sora's?"

"I guess you could say that."

There was a buzzing noise, and the host slapped his forehead.

"No! We're out of time! This has been your host, Even Diaal, and Professor Xe on Rumors of the Past. Goodnight everybody!"

The screen switched to a commercial, leaving Amy severely confused. What in Aetas was that Professor Xe talking about? Other worlds? Pft! Impossible. What a quack.

Amy yawned and got up from the couch, heading for her room on the second floor. She flipped the light on, sighing at the mess that was her room. Clothes littered the floor, paintbrushes and blank canvases were everywhere, and there was a poster of space tacked to the ceiling. Her comforter was dark blue with light blue stars, but the best part of her room was the hidden stairwell to the third floor. She reached up and pulled the cord down, releasing the ladder. She climbed up and looked around.

Up here, she had the room to herself. It was her second room, and this one was bigger. When she and her brother had bought the place, this room had been boarded off. He'd allowed her to have it, but only if she'd get a job. She'd done just that, and the room was hers.

She pulled herself through the hatch and crawled to the window, watching the rain make ripples on her window. Aetas' weather consisted mainly of rain, rain, and…guess what? More rain! The streets were constantly being flooded, and everyone practically slept in their rain coats. Everyday, Amy was forced to walk to the castle in the rain, and walk home in the rain, as well as in the dark. Rarely anything happened though. Aetas was a peaceful place, as far as Amy could tell.

She looked down to see a shadowy figure approaching the front door. The figure drew back its hood, revealing a head of spiked red hair. She grinned and launched herself down the ladder, not even pausing to put it back before she ran to the stairs. She leaned over the railing as her brother closed the front door behind him.

"Welcome home, Andy! You're off work?"

"Yeah," Andy said, hanging his coat next to Amy's. He walked into the kitchen and pulled out a can of pop, chugging half of it before flopping down on the stool behind the counter. "They let me go since it was slow, so I came home. The guards almost dragged me to jail."

"That must've sucked. What happened after that?"

"I showed them my ID and they escorted me to this street. I tell ya, they're getting out of hand."

"I know. I ran to get some food when they sounded the curfew alarm. I freaked out and ran home," she said, laughing to hide her embarrassment. Andy saw it and shook his head.

"You shouldn't be out so late. I don't want you getting dragged off into the dungeons again." She came downstairs and took a drink out of the fridge.

"Were you worried about me?" she asked, taking a seat on the big couch. Andy sat next to her and smacked her lightly on her head.

"No, I was happy you were practically being flogged. Yes, of course I was worried!! After we lost mom and dad, I was terrified I'd lose you. You're the only family I've got left, so don't you dare get into trouble again."

"Okay, Andy," Amy replied, hugging her brother. He put his arm around her and pulled her close, then turned the TV on.

They sat there for another hour, watching a Sci-Fi shows until Amy dozed off. Andy carried her to her room and put her to bed, careful to avoid the things she had on her floor. He made a note to tell her to clean her room sometime.

He went back downstairs and reclaimed his spot on the couch, turning the volume down so he wouldn't wake his sister, but loud enough that he could hear it. He drained the last of his soda as the picture of a sliver haired man appeared on the screen.

"Hello, my name is Professor Xe. I am a scholar who knows many of the things you do not. I have been "outside" the city walls, and I know what lies beyond them. It is a large and terrible curse I have come to possess, but fear not. I will protect this world, and those who inhabit it."

"But what are we to be protected from?" Even Diaal asked. The Professor smiled sadly.

"There are too many worlds to count out there. They all died once, and Sora, the Keyblade master, brought them all back. But this world is more susceptible to darkness because it was never truly touched by darkness, so it isn't immune to the monsters Sora faced in the second part of his journey."

"Wait. What monsters did he face?"

"They are called Nobodies. They are creatures of silver and white, and they all bear this symbol on their bodies, as well as in their minds." Professor Xe pressed a button, and a hologram of a Nobody appeared on the table. Even was taken aback by the creature, but quickly regained his composure.

"What a strange creature! I've never seen one before!"

"They are the opposite of the Heartless, as we discussed last time." The Professor clicked another button, causing another hologram to fizzle into being. It was a human girl, wearing a plain white dress that reached her knees. Another button click caused a black creature to attack her. She fell to the ground and disappeared, but was replaced by another black creature.

"A Heartless is a creature of the darkness that feeds on the fear, doubt, and hatred in people's hearts. But it is the heart they are truly after," Professor Xe explained. "If they obtain these crystallized human souls, they evolve into higher forms of heartless.

"Nobodies, on the other hand, only manifest when someone strong of heart succumbs to the darkness in their heart. But sometimes Nobodies take on their old human forms. There was once a group of said Nobodies. They named themselves Organization XIII, and it had thirteen powerful members. I won't go into details, but it was rumored that the leader was killed by Sora. Of course, it's only a rumor. No one has seen him out and about, but no one was there to see him get killed. Who's to say Nobodies aren't reborn after they're destroyed?"

"A very good point, Professor!" Even said with a slightly exaggerated tone. "I'm sorry, but that's all the time we have today. We will continue this tomorrow night, so see you then, viewers!" Even said, waving at the screen. Professor Xe nodded curtly, and then the screen went to commercials. Andy turned the TV off and slipped off to his room, peering up the stairs to see in Amy was asleep. Her light was off, so he made his way to his room on the first floor and went to bed.

Amy sat in the second floor hallway, against the wall opposite her door. She had been sitting there since Andy had gone back downstairs to watch TV, and she'd heard Professor Xe's whole speech on monsters. She hadn't gotten any good looks at the TV screen, but her imagination wasted nothing on deciding what they looked like. She thought of them as human shaped, but with more grace.

She crawled back to her room and sat on her bed, staring out at the street below. The storm hadn't let up for almost three weeks. It added to the gloom of everything. It seemed like everyone was living without a purpose. She squinted through the waterfall covering her window, trying to see the castle through the current. She barely made out its tall, sturdy towers and high wall. She could also see the city wall, but it was too dark to find the exact edges.

She sighed and buried herself under the covers, staring at the rain until she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer.

* * *

Destiny Islands: 2pm, just after school let out.

Sora ran down the dirt path, his book bag banging against his side. He had been running since school got out, and he was eager to get to work. His mother wouldn't be at home, so he had plenty of time to get changed and head to the island.

He nearly kicked the door in while trying to get in, and he raced upstairs to his room before his dad could even say hello from the living room. He tore his room apart looking for a hanger for his uniform, then pulled his normal black outfit on. He stopped to check his calendar, poking the current date with his finger.

"It starts in a week!" he shouted as he ran downstairs, jumping the last few steps so he landed with a thud on the floor. His dad threw him an exasperated look then went back to his newspaper. Why couldn't his son have been gifted with good grades instead of a crazy imagination?

Sora grabbed a few bottles of Ramune soda from the fridge and tossed them in his book bag, then grabbed the key to his family's boat shed.

"I'm heading to the island," he said as he left. He didn't stop to see if his father was watching or not. He had to get to the island before Riku and Kairi. It was a race.

He reached the docks in record time and looked out over the water. He spotted Riku already in his boat, a few yards ahead of him. Unwilling to lose to his best friend, Sora jumped in his boat and began paddling as fast as he could. Riku saw his friend's efforts and doubled his own. They both reached the island in seconds, and each of them claimed to be first.

"I was so first!" Sora said, shaking his fist at Riku. Riku smirked.

"Oh really? I think I was first."

"You're both wrong," Kairi said, walking up the steps from the beach. "I was first. Got here ten minutes ago. Now let's get this haunted stuff set up!"

The group of three unloaded boxes onto the beach until another group of people showed up.

"Waka, Selphie, Tidus! You got here fast!"

Tidus and Waka high-fived Sora and Riku, while Kairi and Selphie exchanged quieter hellos. After a while, more teens began showing up, pushing the number of people from six to ten. Lulu, Waka's girlfriend, and then Garnet arrived. They had all volunteered help make the island as creepy as possible for the last day of the festival.

"Okay, people, thank you for coming, but we need to get this show on the road!" Kairi shouted. Selphie pulled a list from her pocket, while Lulu got everyone to stand in a straight line in front of the girls. "Now, I know this thing is short notice, but the mayor has asked us to "haunt-ify the island" as he stated. "There will be a lot of things to do for the next week, so make sure you come on time for each day! The festival starts on Friday, so we have until Sunday to get it together! Now, can we do it?"

"Would we be here if we couldn't?" Tidus shouted. Selphie smacked his shoulder as Kairi cleared her throat.

"Right. Now, Selphie, Lulu, and I have come up with tasks for all of you so you won't be…distracted. Okay, so Sora and Riku will be working on the spring. Waka and Tidus will be working on the palm trees. Garnet and Lulu will be working on the beach, and Selphie and I will be overseeing everything. Get it? Got it? Good," Kairi said curtly, grinning almost evilly. "Let's get moving people!"

With that, everyone scampered off to their workstations, not wanting the wrath of a woman to come down upon them.

Sora picked up the boxes the girls literally threw at them as Riku grabbed the dozens of spider web packages from the ground.

"This is going to be a long week, isn't it, Riku?" Sora groaned.

"You know it," Riku replied in a sour tone. Sora looked over his shoulder at the girls. They were chattering away on the docks, their backs turned. Sora grinned and took out the Ramune.

"Riku, catch!" he whispered, tossing the bottle into the air. Riku deftly caught the glass bottle and opened it, taking a quick gulp before placing it under the protection of a bush. Sora stuck his behind a rock in the spring and opened one of the boxes. Inside was a mountain of paint bottles, all labeled Glow in the Dark. Sora blinked a few times, the slowly grinned.

"Riku?" he whispered.

"What, Sora?" Riku replied as he began sticking spider web goop to the cliff's rocky face. Sora held up a bottle of pain.

"This is going to be fun."

Riku eyed the bottle, then shook his head. "You're planning on painting yourself?" Sora opened his mouth to reply, but paused to smile. Riku shook his head. "It was a joke!"

"But it's not a bad idea! If we painted our eyes and arms, that'd be cool!"

"You do that. I'm in charge of the bats this year."

Sora smiled at the memory of last year's festival. They'd all made it back just in time, and it was a spectacular welcome home. The carnival on the Day of the Sun. The art fair on the Day of the Moon. Then on the last day, the Day of the Stars, there would be the Dance of the Stars, which wasn't literally a dance. It was just a bunch of fireworks. Every year, the islanders planned all three days around the Day of the Stars. If it was cloudy, then the entire festival was ruined.

Sora put the bottle back in the box and moved it towards the cliff Riku wasn't working on. He stopped, his ears catching something howl softly. He moved slowly towards the cave he, Riku, and Kairi had dubbed the Secret Place. The soft howl came again, but this time it was almost sad, like someone was crying. Sora moved the bushes aside and entered to cave. Riku followed his friend shortly after.

The small tunnel wound into the rock for a bit, then opened up into a sort of grotto. The walls were covered in chalk drawings from Sora and Riku's childhood. They used to spend most of their time in there, but after they'd come back home, it kind of…disappeared from their minds.

Sora fished his cell phone out of his pocket and opened it, illuminating the cavern with eerie blue light.

"Sora?" Riku called. "Did you see something? Why are we-?"

Sora cut his friend off, then put a hand to his ear. The howl was quiet, but it was there. Sora peered around the rocks until he found the source.

It was a little girl. She was dressed in all black. She even wore gloves and small, pure black shoes.

"Excuse me?" Sora asked, reaching for the girl. "Are you alright?"

The girl slapped his hand away without even looking up, then scooted further away. "Go away."

"Sora, she doesn't want help. Let's get back to work," Riku mumbled.

"S…Sora?" the girl whispered. "Your name is…Sora?"

Sora turned back to the girl. "Yes. That's me. Who are you?"

"I don't remember my name. Can you help me?" she asked. She lifted her head up, but had her hands over her eyes.

"What do you need help for?"

"I'm scared. I went to sleep in my home, and I woke up here. Where am I?"

"You're on Destiny Island."

"Destiny…Island?" The girl stood up sharply. Her face was a shadowy black and her eyes were shut tight. "Can you show me?" she asked. Sora took her hand and led her through the tunnel and out into the light.

"This is Destiny Island," he said. The girl opened her eyes, revealing them to be completely yellow. She almost looked like a…

"…Heartless," Sora whispered. Riku joined him outside the cave and froze.

"What, Sora?" the girl asked, looking at him with innocent eyes.

"You look like Heartless, all dressed in black."

"Heartless? I don't know…" The girl trailed off, then fell over in a dead faint. Sora splashed her with spring water, but she just disappeared into thin air.

"What was that?" Riku asked, bending over the spot where the girl had fallen. Sora shook his head.

"I hope it was nothing."

* * *

And, chapter one is DONE! Whoo! I know I'm slow at beginnings, but what would happen if I just forced action on you? Where's the plot in that?!

Amy: Thank you for reading this first chapter. (bow) I hope to see you again!

Me: Aw...you're so polite! See you all in a few days, maybe hours...XD


	2. The Castle Gardens

Hello, readers! I'm currently bored, so I'm going to update now, rather than later. Gives people the chance to read more before they kick me off my high horse. Sorry, I'm a little angry right now. Gimme a minute...

(inhale...exhale)

Thank you. Glad to have you reading, so I hope you like it, even a little. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 2: The Castle Gardens

Amy awoke with a start, her pulse thundering in her ears. Her head ached as if someone had hit it with a baseball bat. She groaned and sat up, looking out the window to see the rain still pattering lightly against the glass. She squinted at her clock, reading the time as almost four. She groaned and got out of bed, dragging her feet all the way downstairs and into the kitchen, where she laid her head on the counter and clicked on the coffeepot. She yawned and stood there, staring at the front door from the counter's level.

She'd had the craziest dream ever. She'd been in the castle, in the gardens, and it was raining. She was tending to the animals living near the pond when there'd been a loud crack, like thunder. She'd covered her ears, but no sound followed. It was as if the world had stopped moving. There was no sound. No chirping birds. No sound of shoes on concrete. Not even the sound of the rain.

The coffeepot chimed loudly, causing Amy to jump and bang her head against the cupboards above her head.

"Gah-Ouch! Flipping'-no good-rotten…,"she muttered, turning to the coffeepot with her personal mug in hand. "Stupid cupboards…need a freaking' sign. Beware of Cupboards, watch your head!"

She sipped her drink casually, turning on the living room TV with the kitchen remote.

"-And the prince said himself that he had a wonderful time last night-"

"Like I care," Amy grumbled, changing the channel.

"This toothbrush changed my life!" a man in blue overalls said with a grin, holding up a toothbrush.

"And I don't care," Amy responded, pressing the channel button again. She flipped through a few more channels before ending on the Sci-Fi channel, pushed into a laughing fit by Doctor Who. The TV guide said it was the opening episode of season four, and Amy had a really tough time keeping herself from laughing aloud.

The grandfather clock near the front door chimed it as 5am, so Amy went back to her room and pulled on her slacks and a loose T-shirt, then spent a few minutes in the bathroom before pulling her shoes and raincoat on. She opened the door, only to be met by the cold wind's slap to the face. She blinked back tears and pulled her hood up, then exited the house.

The sky was lighter than usual, since Amy could actually see the cobblestone road. Her shoes slapped the sidewalk loudly as she ran under an awning, wringing her hair out before continuing her journey to the castle.

Everyday for her was like this. Everyday she'd get up, make coffee, and run to the castle. They'd feed her there, once the royalty was done eating, and then she'd get to work. She head all the way to the third floor garden, since that was the queen's personal garden, then she'd head down to the courtyard garden. It wasn't exciting, but it was something she liked doing.

Amy snapped out of her reverie as a carriage passed in front of her, the driver shouting curses at her. She watched the carriage bounce over the cobblestone road, the horses' hooves clattering on the ground like drums. Ever since the princess had died in an accident, all transportation technology had been successfully banned from the city, as to prevent any further mishaps. The grieving had lasted for almost two full weeks, then the queen had begun joining Amy when she was gardening. Amy had figured it was just a distraction from her pain.

Amy looked both ways before crossing the street and following the carriage's path, which had been the route to the castle.

The queen was a truly gentle person, with a kind heart and soothing voice. She enjoyed playing the piano, which Amy had heard many times. The castle was filled with music almost everyday, and if you listened carefully, you could almost hear the deceased princess singing along with the music. But the princess was dead, and the queen needed to move on.

Amy paused as she neared the entrance of the castle, noticing the same carriage that had nearly run her over was parked in front of the entrance. She bit her lip and ran to the staff entrance, which was under the entrance staircase.

"Please come this way, sir," the driver said, opening the door as one of the servant held out an umbrella. A man with long silver hair stepped out, dressed in a beautiful black suit. He looked familiar to someone, but Amy couldn't remember anyone like him.

She sunk down lower as another boy stepped out of the carriage, his hair long and black, a little more than shoulder length. His blue eyes darted to from the castle to the man he'd ridden with, then landed on Amy. She ducked into the staff entrance and fumbled for her key, but succeeded in dropping it in the grass. She bent down to retrieve it, but froze when a gloved hand plucked it from its place. She looked up slowly to see the blonde boy holding it out towards her. She took it from him slowly.

"Thank you," she said quietly, looking at her feet. The boy smiled warmly, his aquamarine eyes melting her insides.

"You're welcome. Do you work here?"

"Y-yes…I gardener. I-I mean, I'm the gardener!"

The boy laughed, holding his hand out for her to shake. "I'm Ross."

"Amy," she said, shaking his hand. A small smile appeared on her face. "A pleasure to meet you."

"Sir Ross! It's time to head inside!" the silver haired man shouted. He leaned over the railing, catching the last glimpse of the two holding hands. "Come at once."

Ross nodded, then kissed Amy's hand in a gentlemanly fashion. "The pleasure is all mine, Amy. I hope I see you again."

"I'll be in the gardens the entire day," she blurted out. He smiled and ran back up the small hill, stopping only to wave before heading into the castle. The butler stared at Amy in surprise, then followed the guests inside.

Amy stood there, watching the castle doors close behind the strange boy. He was really cute. She wondered if he was nobility. But if he was, she'd shown disrespect toward him, since she hadn't bowed her head. In fact, she'd done the opposite. She'd made eye contact!

She felt her face flush as she opened the door, coming face to face with her best friend, Irene. She had her bleach blonde hair back in the usual bun, and she held a mop and bucket in her hands.

"What happened?" she asked, taking in Amy's red face. Amy sniffed.

"I, uh…nothing."

"Right," Irene said, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, I have to go mop the entryway, so go change, then head to the gardens. Good luck today."

"Thanks, Irene," Amy said. Her friend nodded and headed up the stairs on the far side of the room. Amy went to the door opposite that one and slid the curtain open. Inside the small room was a rack of maid outfits. Most of them had labels. Amy flipped through the outfits until she found hers. Her uniform was a green and black maid's dress. The dresses themselves had minor differences that symbolized there the person wearing it was to be stationed. Red was with the king, orange was with the princes, yellow was with the last surviving princess, green was in the gardens, blue was in the dining hall, and purple was with the queen.

Amy carried her short dress into a nearby booth, changing as quickly as possible, since the room wasn't locked. She didn't trust a lot of people in the castle. She exited the room and grabbed her bag of gardening tools from the table, heading out into the castle's halls.

The castle was built extremely well, since it could withstand so much rain. Each pillar was exactly the same. Every arch was meticulously hand carved. Every hall displayed tapestries with the royal crest on them. The carpeted hallways were sewn by every expert in the kingdom, and they were expensive to clean. The staff of the castle saw to it that no one got them dirty.

Amy took a right, walking past other maids on her way to her job. She was late because of her meeting with Ross. She was going to be in trouble again. Crud, she hoped the queen was in a good mood.

She ascended the last staircase and stopped in front of a large door, her heart hammering in her chest. She was scared for her job. She needed this really badly. But, better to get it over with than wait. She gulped down one last deep breath, then pushed the door open.

The smell of rain was overwhelming in the small room. The queen's chambers stretched out in front of her, assaulting her with the sweet scents of home made perfumes. She felt her spirits rise as she stepped inside, closing the door softly behind her. She searched the room, hoping the queen hadn't woken up yet. But the queen sat in her chair by the window, staring sorrowfully at the rain. When the door clicked shut, the queen turned and looked at Amy with her kind blue eyes. Her long golden hair was loose over her shoulders, and tumbled down her back wildly.

"It's good to see you again, Amy. Did you sleep well?" she called. Amy ran to the queen and kneeled at her feet.

"Forgive me, you majesty! I'm late! I'm so sorry!"

"Be calm, Amy. You are right on time."

Amy looked up at the queen with grateful eyes. "Thank you so much, my lady!"

"It's quite alright, child. Now, let's get to work. I'm eager to see how my sunflowers are doing." The queen smiled gently, as eager as she would ever seem. Amy nodded, and offered her hand to the queen, which was accepted. The queen slipped her slim hand into Amy's and led them into the hall.

They walked a short distance, just to the connecting room, and entered the queen's garden. It was bright with sun lamps and vibrant flowers. There were ten rows of plants, allowing a plethora of flowers to bloom. They were organized according to the amount of light they needed, then by how much water was necessary for blossoms. The queen let go of Amy and began wandering the rows, gently touching each plant with loving hands. She hummed as she walked, wishing everyday for new blooms and more colors.

Amy began her work with a deep breath, digging her tools out of her tool bag with determined hands. It was thanks to both of them that the small garden had grown into a sea of flowers, and any slacking off would kill it. The gardening is what gave her inspiration to paint when she was at home.

She rolled up her sleeves and began misting the plants, flipping the switch by the door. Small amounts of water began covering the plants as Amy began cutting off the blossoms past or in full bloom.

"What are you doing, Amy?" the queen asked curiously. Amy looked up and smiled.

"My lady, if we do not cut off the blossoms already in full bloom, then they will steal nutrients from the buds. It would kill the plant."

"Ah, I see. Good idea. I'll collect the blossoms."

The queen picked up a nearby pail and began following Amy around the room, placing all the dying flowers in it carefully. Amy smiled at the happy look on the queen's face. She looked so cheerful, but she was still a sickly pale. It worried Amy, but she didn't dare ask about her health. It might bring up something painful and ruin the day.

The flower gathering continued for a while, then Amy began spraying each plant with a special fluid the last castle gardener had created.

"It prolongs the life of the flowers, and it gives up bigger blooms," she explained to the queen. The woman drank in every bit of information Amy offered and helped in every way possible. It was as if Amy had a child following her. It was a nice feeling, and it made time pass at an alarming rate. It was lunch time before anyone knew it, and the only reason Amy and the queen noticed was because the guards came in with food for them.

They sat down near the window, enveloped in a warm, familiar feeling. It felt like a dream to Amy, that she was sitting in a chair not three feet from the queen of the kingdom. It was so…incredibly un-awkward that is was almost scary.

Amy sipped her soup slowly, unsure of what to talk about. The queen sipped her tea, watching Amy fumble for words.

"Something is troubling you, Amy?" she eventually asked. Amy stirred her soup for a minute, then nodded.

"Yes. I'm trying to think of something to say."

"Well, what has happened recently in you life? Anything knew or exciting?"

Amy pondered the thought for a minute, then snapped her fingers.

"I had a dream last night!"

"A dream?" the queen repeated, surprised by Amy's sudden enthusiasm. "About what?"

"It was about the city. I was here, in the courtyard gardens, during a big storm. I was trying to save the flowers when there was a big crack of thunder. The sound seemed to leave the world. But the strangest thing was that…the rain stopped."

The queen nearly choked on her drink. She coughed a few times before she was able to speak again.

"The rain stopped?!" she cried in disbelief. "What an odd occurrence. I wonder why the rain stopped."

"Is that bad?" Amy asked. She suddenly regretted saying anything.

"No, it's not bad. It's just odd. Everyone dreams of the rain here, even I," the queen said, looking at the city outside the window. "To dream of the rain is to dream of peace. The rain is good for the land. It provides the land with life force. This land has adapted to the rain. If the environment changed, the land would surely die."

"Ah, I see, your majesty," Amy said with a nod. What the queen said made sense. If you go on a diet after eating nothing but junk food, your body would react badly. You would have to gradually begin eating healthy foods, or you'd get sick.

After lunch was over, Amy bid farewell to the queen and made her way down to the first floor courtyard. She had until 8:00 to tend to the garden, then fifteen minutes to get home, if the curfew wasn't early. She hoped that it wasn't. But if it was, then it was a good thing she had her ID card.

She pulled on her raincoat and stepped out into the courtyard. The rain had lightened to a drizzle, but it was still there. She sighed and began getting to work. She started trimming the hedges until they were free of dead branches and full blooms. She picked up the slim, thorned branches and threw them in a bag at her hip. The castle healer might have some use for them, and the queen would want the flowers.

Amy was halfway done when she heard voices coming. She ducked behind one of the larger bushes, one shaped like a dragon, and peered at the people. It was the oldest prince and the princess, accompanied by a boy who was none other than Ross! Amy smothered a smile and went back to work. She liked the way Ross smiled, the way he walked, the way he spoke. She sighed and finished trimming the dragon, then carried on to the next bush statues, which were a cat, a dog, and a fox. She began humming before she knew it, and the next few moments passed by in a blur.

Before she knew it, the whole garden seemed alive. She took a quick break by the fountain in the center of 

the area, feeding the ducks some crackers she'd saved from lunch.

"So, we meet again, Amy," a voice called. Amy turned to see Ross standing behind her. She jumped and nearly fell in the water, but Ross grabbed her hand and pulled her back in time. "Be careful, or you might get hurt."

"Of course, Lord Ross," Amy blurted out. Ross smiled and shook his head.

"I see no one around, so please call me Ross. I insist."

"But, sir, I am merely a maid. It would be disrespectful towards your lordship."

Ross sighed and sat down on the fountain's rim. "Then become my friend, Amy. I am new to this land, and I am without any true friends."

Amy stumbled for an answer, but ended up sitting next to him. They spoke of where Ross had been and where he'd come from. The talked about many subjects, and laughed at each other's jokes, even if they weren't funny. To Amy, this was a nice feeling. She'd never had such a nice person talk to her, aside from her brother and Irene.

They'd begun to walk around the garden now, but Amy was still clipping bushes.

"So how long have you been working in the castle?" Ross asked. Amy pondered the thought, then answered.

"About six months now."

"Do you like it?"

"Yes, I do. It gives me inspiration."

"For what?"

Amy glanced at him with a smile. "You ask a lot of questions, Sir Ross."

"I try. Now answer the question."

"Of course, sir. I paint in my spare time, but I haven't had any really big ideas lately. Do you have any hobbies?"

"Oh, that's a tough one. I like to fence, but it's odd. I never like the feel of just one sword."

"You fight with two?"

"No. I've never fought before. I only practice under the guidance of my teacher."

"That silver haired man?" Amy guessed, clipping another blossom off a bush.

"Yes. He is Professor Xe." Ross was surprised by Amy's reaction. She had the look of someone who just seen a ghost. "Do you know him?"

"I saw him on TV once. Last night," Amy said, recalling last night's episode. "He spoke of other worlds. I don't remember the details, but he sounded crazy for a while."

"Yes, Professor Xe is a little unorthodox, but he speaks the truth. He showed me the other worlds."

Amy felt the branch cutters slip from her fingers as Ross' words thundered in her head. Ross picked them up and led Amy to a nearby gazebo. She stared blankly ahead as she sat down in the swing. Ross' words had struck some chord in her mind, but she couldn't remember what.

It took her a while to speak again, but when she did, her voice was shaky.

"Are…are there…Nobodies?" she asked. Ross checked the surrounding area, then grasped her shaking hand for comfort.

"Yes, there are. I'm sorry, but I must go. I'm being called."

"R-right," Amy said, snapping out of her daze. "Have a wonderful evening."

Ross nodded and set off towards the castle, leaving Amy blinking in confusion. Her hand was warm where Ross had held it, and it was a gentle warmth. She held it to her chest, trying to memorize the feeling.

The clock tower in the middle of town began tolling out the hour, causing Amy to jump. She saw it was almost 8:00, which set her into a frenzy. She had to be home in time for the curfew!

She walked as quickly as possible up to the queen's quarters, but only stayed long enough to give the queen the colorful blossoms from the courtyard. After that, it was straight down to the staff room to change, then running home to make the curfew. She had to be fast, or it was another punishment in store.

As she ran home, Amy was overcome with an odd feeling. She began seeing red flowerbuds out of the corners of her eyes, blooming into huge camellias and roses. A breeze blew around her, carrying the petals across her vision and into the sky.

Suddenly she felt as if she'd struck a goldmine. She had her inspiration. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her, making it home with almost ten minutes to spare. She kicked off her gear and ran up to her room, setting up her easel with a fresh canvas and new paint. She pulled on her painting apron and got to work.

The red paint seemed to flow freely from her brush, giving birth to the scene set before her. It was as if Amy herself was in a field of red flowers, with a blue sky above her and green grass below her. She painted what she saw. Blood red petals floating in the air, large flowers bending in the breeze, the white wisps of clouds sailing overhead. The paint had a life of its own, that carried a power that Amy had never felt before. It called to her. It sang of lush, open prairies and flower filled meadows full of peace.

When the painting was done, and the inspiration gone, Amy set her brush down and saw it was almost midnight. She yawned as her fatigue took her, and she collapsed on her bed, still wearing her paint covered apron. She hadn't even washed the smudges of paint off her face. She only felt the cool embrace of sleep.

* * *

Destiny Islands, Wednesday: 6:00 pm

Sora was dead tired. He and Riku had been working on the island since 6am, and the only break they'd had was lunch. The girls had decided they wanted to paint the walls with forlorn looking spirits and frightening ghosts.

Sora dropped his empty bottle of paint on the ground and chugged the last of his water.

"Want to go see if the little girl shows up again?" he asked Riku. The silver haired boy stopped painting and looked at his friend in annoyance.

"For the last time, Sora, the girl probably won't show up. She was probably just an illusion or something."

Sora clenched his hand. The little girl who'd taken it hadn't been an illusion. She had been real.

"Well, I'm going to go check."

"Okay. Get your butt back here if she isn't," Riku mumbled as his friend scampered off to the Secret Place. Sora checked for any people nearby, then ducked into the small tunnel.

"Hello?" he called. "Little girl? Are you here again? It's Sora."

He emerged in the cavern, the sunset's light illuminating the rocks just enough to see. He searched the area, but found no trace of the little girl. He turned to go when he heard the howling. He turned back to the rock wall with the door, and watched the keyhole appear in a swirl of darkness and light. He fell backwards as a shadow melted away and pooled on the floor in the light. It took a moment to take its shape, then settled on the form of a human.

The little girl looked up at Sora with eyes that no longer belonged to that of a heartless. Her eyes were different now, her left eye was blue and her right was a brown that seemed to be closer to red. Her skin was pale and flesh colored. She wore black clothes, and her hair was black as well, but at least she looked human.

"Sora?" she whispered. He blinked and nodded, still in shock from her appearance. "It's nice to see you remembered me. Am I really back on the island?"

"Y-yes, you are, but could you explain how you got here? You appeared out of the door."

"The door?" she repeated, looking behind her. "I don't see a door. Can I see the island again?"

Sora opened his mouth to speak, but stopped. He'd forgotten normal people couldn't see the door. He stood up and led the girl out into the light of the retreating sunset. She was in awe of the beauty of it. She'd never seen anything like it before. Sora showed her the entire island, but stayed away from Kairi and Selphie. Everyone else had gone home a few hours back, claiming they had homework to do.

Sora talked easily to the girl, telling him about the islands, but didn't mention anything about his adventures. He'd let those go long ago. After a while, the conversation had turned towards the girl. She didn't remember her name, and she didn't know anything about where she'd come from. At first, Sora thought she might've been a castaway from another world, but she'd come through the door instead of falling from the sky like Kairi had. That was also how he and Riku had gotten home after their battle with Xemnas.

They reached the place where Riku was in a few short minutes, since they'd used a shortcut, and the silver haired boy was surprised by the girl's appearance.

"So you're a human," he said, looking in the eyes. "I'm Riku."

"Nice to meet you, Riku. I wish I could tell you my name, but I can't remember it."

"That's fine. We'll give you one for now," Sora said. "Right, Riku?"

"Sure. What would you like to be called?"

The little girl leaned against the wall, staring at the sky. "I don't know…I really like the sky here. It's a nice color. Is it because of the sun?"

"Yes," Riku said, opening another bottle of paint.

"Then I want to be Sunny."

"Sunny?" Riku repeated. It was a little bit contradictory towards the girl's appearance. She looked like she'd have a darker name, and Sunny seemed like it was meant for someone cheery. This little girl was mysterious, not cheery.

"Yes. I like the sound of it," she said, rocking back on her heals.

"Okay, Sunny it is!" Sora said, picking up his paintbrush. Sunny grinned, her smile almost identical to Sora's. Riku shuddered mentally. Oh, please, not another Sora! One was enough trouble!

Sunny watched the boys paint, feeling something tug at the back of her mind. She reached for a bottle of paint, but stopped when she saw her hand.

It was translucent. She bit her lip and stood up and reached for a paintbrush, but her hand went through it. She whimpered and reached for Sora, but this time she went through him entirely.

"Sora, what's happening?!" she cried. Sora dropped his brush and reached for Sunny, but she disappeared.

"What happened?!" Sora asked, running his hand over the spot where Sunny had been standing. Riku joined him, shaking his head.

"I have no clue. If only the king were here to explain it."

"Explain what?"

Both boys looked up to see Kairi standing next to Sora. Her expression was confusion mixed with amusement.

"Nothing. We'd better head home now," Riku said quickly, standing and walking towards the docks. Sora joined him, leaving Kairi standing alone on the path.

"Who…was with them?" she whispered. She shook her head and ran after the boys, tired of being left out. She would demand that they tell her what was going on tomorrow, and that was that. But for now, she'd head home and get some sleep.

* * *

Yeah, so there's chapter 2, and chapter 3 will be up soon. I'm trying to focus on my LoZ fic, so that's taking up most of my attention. If you want to read more, review please!


	3. Days Gone By

Hey readers. I'm on a roll with writing, so not much will be here. Anyway, enjoy, read, review, and leave me something to work with. Thanks!

* * *

Chapter 3: Days Gone By

The next few days were a blur for Amy. She'd get up really early, give her brother a silent 'good morning', and head to the castle gardens. She'd spend the first half of the day with the queen, then she'd head to the courtyard and wait for Ross to come. They'd walk around the rows of bushes, talking about other worlds and other silly subjects. They were happy times, and everyday Amy would go home with inspiration filling every corner of her mind.

Each painting was different. The first one had been the field of red flowers by some cliffs. The second was a thick jungle filled with huge trees and dense bushes. The third was a city built on clouds in the sky. The fourth was a land covered in a blanket of snow. The fifth was a city with airships and a castle with tall towers. The sixth was a sunny island with sparkling waters. The seventh was a library, with rows and rows of books.

Amy observed them with interest. She didn't know where she'd seen these places before. She didn't know much of anything about them. She only knew that she painted them, and they were her creations. They were hers and hers alone.

She looked outside, hoping for a glimmer of sunlight. There were only rain clouds. Today was Friday, and it would be fun! She planned on making it fun. She had to do some shopping today, and she was running out of paint.

Amy sighed and left her room, heading for the kitchen. She clicked the TV on and searched for the Sci-Fi channel, hoping to catch Professor Xe's show. What she found was a black screen with white letters that read "Sorry for the inconvenience, but we are experiencing technical difficulties. Have a nice day."

Amy grumbled and grabbed her purse and bag from the coat rack, checking for her money and ID card before exiting the house. She headed down a few blocks and into the Gi District of the city. The city was divided into seven districts, each corresponding to one of the seven Codes of the Swordsman: Gi/Justice, Yuu/Bravery, Jin/Benevolence, Rei/Politeness, Makoto/Veracity, Meiyo/Honor, and Chuugi/Loyalty. Amy was born and raised in the Yuu District, so she supposedly had untold amounts of bravery stashed somewhere in her creative mind. Yeah, sure.

Amy dished out the cash in every shop she needed to visit, eventually accumulating two extra bags of food. She and her brother ate a lot, but he, by far, ate the most. He was home most of the time. He didn't work 12 hour days, every single day. She did! She paid most of the bills, but he paid for gas and water. Rent wasn't so bad, but it consumed half her salary every month.

Amy snapped out of her thoughts when someone stopped in front of her. She moved to get around the person, but they only stepped in the same direction. She was about to complain when she saw who it was. The person was wearing a raincoat, as was everyone else, but this jacket was expensive. Only fit for nobles.

Ross grinned at her and took her arm before she could speak, ducking below the crowd and pulling her into a nearby shop. He hid as a few guards passed by, then let out a sigh of relief.

"Phew! They left! Finally!" Amy was about to ask a question when Ross shook his head. "Don't say my name here. I'll get caught. Call me Ron, okay?"

Amy nodded, unable to speak, and looked around. They were in the paint shop.

"What a coincidence. I needed to be here."

Ross followed her around the shop like a puppy, curious as to what she was doing every time she picked up a brush.

"Didn't I tell you I paint in my spare time? I started up again shortly after I met you."

"Oh?" he asked, somewhat surprised. "That's great. What have you painted?"

Amy listed them for him, using as many details as possible in each description. He seemed so interested in her words that she was almost sad to stop. When she was done, he smiled.

"May I come see them sometime?"

"Of course, Ron. Feel free to drop by anytime."

"I will…as soon as I have a free moment."

"Were you supposed to be somewhere today?" she asked, picking up a bottle of silver paint.

"I was supposed to stick with that man you saw me with before, but I ditched him. You are much better company."

Amy blushed to the roots of her hair and rushed to the check out counter, dropping the numerous paint bottles in front of the cashier in her haste to avoid Ross's eyes.

"I-I…uh…I don't…know about that…," she said, looking towards the shop exit.

"I do," Ross said, placing his hand on the counter near hers. He pushed a small bag of munny towards the cashier and smiled. "That should cover it. Keep the change."

The cashier took the bag and opened it, but almost keeled over at the sight of all that munny. Before he could protest to the amount, Ross had gathered Amy's things and pulled her out the door and into the crowd, disappearing in seconds.

Amy felt odd as Ross half-dragged her through the crowd. He had a strong grip on her hand, and she could feel his pulse beating against hers. She felt as if she should've been scared, but she felt nice. She didn't even realize he was talking to her until he stopped and looked at her.

"What?" she asked.

"I said, so where is your house? I'd like to see the paintings now."

"Huh? Why now?"

Ross bent down so his mouth was next to her ear and whispered, "Because I see a few people I'd rather not be around right now. They're following us, about thirty feet back. Can we ditch them?"

Amy resisted the urge to turn and look for the guards and nodded, taking the lead.

"Keep up with me and we'll be there in no time."

Ross grinned and followed Amy as she began walking at a fast pace, taking as many turns as possible. They zigzagged through the crowds and walked the busiest streets, making sure to keep their hoods up as much as possible. If the guards caught sight of their hair, they'd be able to spot them from anywhere.

At least twenty minutes later, Amy and Ross entered the Yuu District. It was considerably less crowded, and proved to be somewhat of an advantage to them. They weren't deterred by heavy armor and steel weapons. They only had the few bags Amy had filled with food and supplies.

They reached her loft in no time, exhausted and laughing uncontrollably. They didn't have a reason. They just felt like laughing.

When both of them settled down, Amy gave Ross the grand tour, ending with her room on the second floor. He was surprised by the mess, but was even more surprised by the great view of the castle from her window. He could see just over the tops of the buildings and easily see the upper half of the castle.

"So, where are the paintings?" he asked after a bit. Amy motioned for him to follow her as she pulled the cord, released the stairs, and climbed up to the third floor. He followed her, prepared to see the paintings she'd described earlier, but was completely unprepared for what awaited him.

What he saw were not paintings, but looking-glasses into the different worlds he'd been to. He was struck speechless by each painting's level of detail. The colors were vibrant and spot on and the craftsmanship was superb! It was as if they were done by a professional, and someone who'd been to the "outside".

He turned to ask Amy a question, but found she wasn't there. He clambered down the ladder as quickly as possible and searched the house for her, finally locating her in the kitchen, making lunch.

"You seriously did those paintings?" he called out. Amy jumped, bumping her head on the cupboards above her head. She balled her fist and shook it, then turned to him with a smile and two mugs of coffee.

"Yep! I sure did! What do you think?"

"I thought they were brilliant! Uh, could we take these upstairs?"

"Sure. Just make sure not to spill anything."

They returned to the third floor and sat against the wall facing the paintings, as well as the window. Ross pointed out everything he liked about the paintings and gave Amy tips on painting and brushstrokes. She memorized every bit of information he recited, the strange warm feeling welling up inside of her again. She'd never felt like this before.

"Are you alright?" Ross asked, leaning closer to her. Amy nodded, then looked suddenly at the blank canvas currently positioned on the easel. An image began forming in front of her eyes.

"I'm fine. I just have an idea for a new painting."

"Go ahead and paint."

"But that would be rude. I'd be ignoring you."

"It's fine. Paint while the image is still fresh in your mind."

Amy glanced at him, smiled bashfully, then scooted over to the canvas. She pulled her smock on and bound her hair back, then grabbed her trusty paintbrush and began painting.

* * *

Destiny Islands, Thursday morning...

Sora ran through the streets of the main island as fast as he could. His legs felt like jelly, and he hadn't even had any decent breakfast on his way out the door. He'd barely managed to wake up that morning, and Kairi was going to kill him if they missed her performance in the festival. She had been talking about it for the entire week they'd been working on the island.

Sora smiled at the thought of all that work. He and Riku had finished painting the rock walls, and Sunny had been there to help. She'd follow them with the paint, or she'd comment on how well they were doing. She seemed to find his painting the funniest. Riku just seemed to have a knack for it.

The tents finally began poking above the roofs of the houses, and Sora slowed to a power walk. He saw Riku leaning against the entrance, looking at his watch expectantly. When he saw Sora coming, he threw up his arms.

"Finally! Kairi's going on in five minutes!"

"Did you get us a few seats?"

"Kairi got us into the reserved section up front. She knew this would happen, so she made sure we got seats."

"Phew!" Sora said. "Thank goodness for a woman's intuition."

Riku shook his head and dragged his friend through the gate, heading down the main street until they came to a large platform, surrounded by chairs. People were beginning to sit as a group of girls climbed up onto the big wooden stage. They were dressed in red and white priestess robes, and carried various musical instruments. Two had violins, one had a lightweight keyboard, and Kairi had a flute.

The man in charge of the festival stepped up onto the stage as well, clearing his throat to get everyone's attention. He was somewhat round, but had an air of authority that rivaled the mayor's.

"Welcome, one and all, to the Festival of the Sun, Moon, and Star. As you know, today is the Day of the Sun, and we have been blessed with a special performance from a small musical ground from Southern Island School. Please be seated, and enjoy the festivities." The man stepped down from the stage and took his place in back, watching the girls with excited eyes.

The crowd fell into a hushed silence as Kairi began her flute solo. It was simple, but it seemed to cast a spell over all that heard it. She was joined by the violins, then the keyboard, and together, they kept the entire festival entranced with their music.

The clouds above seemed to sway with the music, and soon parted, allowing sunlight to cover everything. The song ended, and the audience made their amazement audible through loud shouts and endless clapping. The girls took a bow and hopped off the stage, heading around back. The man in charge stepped up again, grinning broadly.

"Thank you very much for coming today! I now declare this festival…open!!"

Every shop up and down the street practically lit up with life as the audience dispersed among them. They sold everything from masks to clothes, food and drink, even recordings of the music to be played during the entire festival.

Sora and Riku waited for Kairi near the backstage entrance, munching on some sweets they'd just bought. She came out after a few minutes, but her hair was a complete mess.

"Sorry it took me so long. Thanks for coming, guys!"

"Sure, Kairi," Sora said, wiping some chocolate off his face. He handed Kairi a candy kabob and grinned. "Wouldn't have missed it for anything."

Kairi smiled at them, but her eyes fell to the ground after they'd started moving. The boys chatted about the local blitz ball tournament coming up next week and how boring their senior year in high school was going to be, but Kairi's mind was elsewhere. She knew the boys were hiding something, but every time she'd try to ask them, they'd brush it off as something stupid. It made her angry that they would keep something from her, and she was determined to find out what it was.

"Boys, I need to know what you're hiding from me."

Both boys stopped dead in their tracks and turned to face her.

"Kairi, why would we hide something from you?" Sora asked, chomping on the last of his candy kabob.

"I don't know, but you are. Back on the island, there was always someone following you. I didn't recognize who it was, and I want to know now."

Sora opened his mouth to speak, but Riku placed his hand over his friend's mouth. "Sora, the jig is up. We've been caught. Just tell her what you found."

Sora pried Riku's hand off his mouth and told Kairi as much as he knew about the girl as possible, but it surprisingly wasn't all that much.

"So all you know is that, everyday she appears in our secret place, she first appeared as if she was a Heartless, and that she likes you guys. Does this girl have a name?"

"Well, she didn't remember it, but we call her Sunny," Sora said, scratching the back of his head.

"She didn't remember her name? Is she from the islands?"

"I don't think so," Riku said. "If she were, don't you think we'd know her?"

"True…" Kairi was silent for a while, then grabbed Sora by the collar of his shirt and pulled his towards her. "Take me to meet her."

"What?! Now?! But the festival…!"

"The festival will be here when we get back. If we don't know her, we'll take her with us and see if anyone recognizes her. We'll take her to my house after that."

Sora and Riku nodded, then they set out for the island. They grabbed the motor boat from Riku's house and were over there in record time. No one was there, so they didn't bother with locking the steering wheel or anything. They made their way to the cave as quickly as possible, but Sora went first. Kairi followed, and Riku waited outside, watching for others.

When Sora emerged from the tunnel, he was practically tackled by Sunny.

"Hi, Sora! How are you?" she asked, looking at him with her huge brown and blue eyes. Sora pulled her back into the cave so Kairi could get in, and had Sunny stand in front of him.

"Kairi, this is Sunny. Sunny, this is one of my best friends. Her name's Kairi."

Sunny stared at Kairi with an open mouth, then took her time walking in circles around the redhead.

"Wow! Your hair is really pretty! You look like a princess!"

Sora an Kairi stifled a laugh at that comment, and Kairi bent down to Sunny's eyelevel.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sunny," she said with a smile. "I hope we can be friends."

"Me too! Me too!"

After moving outside and greeting Riku, Sunny began running around the sandy beach, grinning hugely. She loved the sunlight so much it hurt each time she had to leave. She liked the feel of sand under her feet, and the water lapping at her toes was soothing.

"Sunny," Kairi called, "how would you like to go to the festival?"

Sunny, uncertain as to what a festival was, immediately said yes. They took her back to the main island, but not before making a quick stop at Kairi's house to get the little girl some decent clothes. She'd die of a heat stroke if she wore black in the island sun. She chose a light blue shirt and a long denim skirt, and pulled Sunny's hair back into two pigtails. Sunny grinned and followed Kairi like a puppy depending on its mother. The boys found it strange, but Kairi was immediately attached to the child.

They walked the festival streets for a long time, just enjoying the smells and the sounds. Sunny wanted to know about everything there, and Kairi was glad to show her the different shops and the items they sold. Sora excelled at choosing which foods she'd like, and Riku made an excellent teacher in the ways of the carnival games. It felt like a dream for all of them, and when night finally began falling, Sunny began growing weak, eventually collapsing on their way to Kairi's house, where they'd decided she'd stay, since no one had recognized her.

"Sunny! Sunny are you okay?" Kairi asked, holding the girl upright. Sunny's knees gave out as she began fading, her eyes glazing over.

"I'll…see you tomorrow…everyone," she said with a weak smile. She disappeared, leaving Kairi stunned and the boys feeling sort of sad.

"Darn it, that was fun," Sora said, scratching the back of his head. Riku nodded in agreement.

Kairi, on the other hand, was still kneeling. Her hands shook slightly as she looked at Sora square in the eyes.

"What happened?!"

"Sunny disappears every time she comes here. Today was twice as long as yesterday's time, so she'll be here longer tomorrow," Riku said, shrugging. Kairi sighed, remembering they'd explained that to her before.

"Well, then I have something to look forward to tomorrow!" Kairi called as she headed for her house. "See you guys later!"

"Bye, Kairi!" the boys called as they headed to the docks.

Kairi sprinted the last stretch of street and stopped in front of her house. The lights weren't on, meaning her foster parents were probably still out. She grabbed the key from under the mat and stepped inside the dark house. She closed the door and kicked her shoes off, then ran up the stairs to her room, shutting the door just as her parents walked up the front steps. She threw on her pajamas and got under the covers, messing her hair up so it looked as if she'd been asleep already. She didn't want to stay awake any longer than she had to.

Her bedroom door opened a crack, then closed slowly. The redhead let out a soft sigh and rolled over, staring at her childhood island from her patio window. The water shimmered with the last light of day as she yawned, then finally began falling asleep.

* * *

A few hours later, Amy emerged from her painting trance and sat down against the back wall, breathing a sigh of relief. It felt as if a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She glanced at the painting, but froze at what she saw.

What she had painted was not like the other ones. This one she'd seen before. Blue skies stretched out over city streets, inviting and warm with sunlight. The streets were filled with people, their destinations unknown. Birds flew through the sky in V shapes and dogs below chased cats. And in the center of it all, there was a large castle with bright, multicolored flags billowing in the wind.

She had painted Aetas. But not just any version of Aetas. The one version people never hoped to see. The Aetas with no rain.

Ross poked his head up into the room, sipping his drink, when he nearly choked at what he saw. Amy helped him up and smacked him on the back until he was breathing again.

"What is that?" he sputtered, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. She looked back at the painting with sad eyes.

"I think it's Aetas, except without the constant rain."

Ross sighed, then looked her in the eyes.

"It's really pretty, Amy, but you mustn't tell anyone of this painting. As soon as it's dry, get all your recent paintings together, as well as a few of your sketchbooks, and hide them. If word got out you painted this, the city would be in an uproar."

"Isn't that a little drastic?" Amy asked, surprised by Ross's level of seriousness. The boy just scowled.

"Take my advice. Now I have to go, so please, just do it."

He slipped down into her room and down the stairs, heading for the front door. Amy tried to call out to him, but he was gone before she could say anything. She sat there, slumped against the railing, wondering what she'd done wrong. Was it against the law to paint what she saw? Was Aetas without rain such a horrid sight that no one wished to see it? Amy thought it was beautiful, but Ross had been almost angry when he'd seen what she'd done.

She stood up and returned to her room, closing her door with a soft click before she began stuffing her favorite sketchbooks into her backpack, which was hanging on a post behind her door. She stuffed in a blank sketchbook for the heck of it, then headed upstairs. Her paintings leaned against the wall with the window, as she'd left them. She stumbled over to them and pulled the pieces of cloth from their wooden frames, rolling them until they were able to fit into a cardboard tube her brother had bought for her traveling paint set. She felt her head swim as she looked at the painting of sunny Aetas, then she took it down from the easel, tacking it to the wall to dry before placing a new canvas on the easel.

She held her brush tightly, but no inspiration came. She waited and waited, but eventually she began dozing. She tried to blink her drowsiness away, but she soon realized that it was too late to try and paint again. It was well past midnight.

She slipped her smock off and climbed back down into her room, not even managing to change into her pajamas before she got into bed. She just climbed under the covers and nodded off, forgetting everything as sleep finally pulled her away.

* * *

Ross walked swiftly through the streets of Aetas, heading for the mansion where he and Professor Xe were staying. He pushed his black hair out of his eyes, growling at the rain that pushed it back. He was too angry to do anything rational right now, so he decided that once he got back, he'd go straight to his room and do some research. He just needed to avoid everyone in the mansion until then.

"Sir Ross!" a maid called from the front step. "The Professor wished to see you at once!"

"Tell him I'll see him tomorrow!" Ross shouted back, angrily pushing the front gate open with a booted foot.

"But he-!"

"No! I'm not to be disturbed until tomorrow morning. I'll see him then." He pushed past the maid and trudged up to his room, barely stopping to remove his shoes in his rush to get away. The maid followed him up the stairs and down the hall, but was stopped when he shut the door in her face.

He pressed his ear to the door, listening for footsteps. When he heard none, he flopped onto his bed and put in his headphones, turning on the music player stationed on his bedside table. He turned it up so loud that he couldn't hear anything except the music tearing his ears apart.

He stared at the ceiling of his room for a long time, then turned his head so he could see the rest of it. Aside from his bed, there was a large wooden desk and dresser, as well as a walk in closet, three bookcases Professor Xe had filled with his personal literature favorites, and a box full of papers, half of which Ross didn't even bother reading, even though the Professor had pushed it. They were just things on the Nobodies and the Heartless. Things a man named Ansem the Wise had come up with. He'd read through them once before, on the way here, but everything there was all opinionated. There were no solid facts, no data tables, and no written processes. How was he supposed to believe this information?

Professor Xe, on the other hand, treated them as if they were the key to everything. He kept saying, "It's almost time" and "It's coming" over and over, but Ross wanted to know what was coming. What was so incredible that it had his teacher in an uproar?

Suddenly the door flew open, revealing a red faced Professor Xe and the maid from before. She threw Ross a terrified, yet apologetic look as she hurried away, frightened of the professor. And who wouldn't be terrified? He looked like a raging bull, ready to impale someone on his horns if they crossed him.

The professor stomped over the Ross and yanked the boy off the bed, sending him tumbling to the floor and knocking his headphones loose. He then kicked the boy in the stomach twice before beginning his rant.

"What are you thinking, you good for nothing twit?! I called for you to join me in the parlor, but you ignore my request and shut yourself in your room. What, pray tell, is so much more important than giving me, your superior, a simple greeting?! Well?!"

Ross stayed where he was on the floor, knowing that if he did anything rash he'd end up dead…or worse.

"I was only going to read over the Ansem Reports again, sir. I thought that I could maybe understand them better than my first read through."

The professor blinked several times, then sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose absentmindedly. "Ah…I see what you mean. Knowledge is always very important, but I do wish you would come see me occasionally. I miss our conversations greatly."

"Of course, sir. I just-"

"It's quite alright, Ross. Just be sure to come see me next time I ask, alright?"

Ross nodded mutely as the professor left the room, slightly unaffected by the man's extreme mood swing. He seemed to be getting a lot of those lately. And they only got worse and worse. Today's was the craziest yet. Ross couldn't help but wonder when they would cease. He stood up and changed into his pajamas, avoiding the sore spot that would be a large bruise tomorrow, then pulled himself into bed.

He thought of Amy, and her paintings. The professor had probably wanted to talk to him about her and what had happened today, but he really hadn't cared. The whole reading of the reports had been an excuse to get him out of there fast. Ross only wanted to keep Amy out of harm's way for the next few days. After that, the professor would leave the city, and Amy would be safe.

At least, that's what he hoped.

* * *

Woot! Cliffhanger! Hope you liked it. If you didn't maybe you'll warm up to it. I dunno. BTW, before anyone reviews, please don't bombard me with your theories. Someone did that once and it comepletely ruined my story. I tossed that one. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter, see you in about...36 hours when I update again. XD


	4. The Sky!

Hey readers. How've you been? I just started my senior year, so I feel really old and really depressed...it's so sad that I won't be able to see my friends again after school lets out for the final time.

Amy: Don't worry, Wing. You'll keep in touch.

Me: Says you. I suck at communication with the outside world. I prefer the life of a mole. Anyway, here we go again. Enjoy the chapter, and FYI, things will be picking up after this. Sorry if the first few chapters bored you to death, but I wanted this story to have a decent plot. It doesn't feel right if I just go right into battles, so...yeah. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own Amy and Ross. That's it. Oh, and Aetas and Sunny.

* * *

Chapter 4: The Sky!

Amy woke up the next morning with a searing headache and bloodshot eyes. Her memories of the night before were vivid, especially Ross's warning. She sincerely wished that he hadn't said anything. He'd scared her witless with the look on his face alone; an expression that conveyed concern, but masked a deep anger.

She pulled herself out of bed and dragged herself to the closet, pulling on her usual set of slacks and wrinkled T-shirt. Today would just be another Saturday, just like always. With a mix of anger and sleep, she shuffled through her messy room and down to the kitchen, where she promptly found Andy pacing a hole into the living room floor. Forget what she said about being scared witless; Andy was the emotional rollercoaster. His expression went from scared to happy, from angry to crying, then on to scared again, in a matter of nanoseconds.

"Andy? What are you doing up? Did you just get home?" she asked, pushing her brown hair out of her eyes.

Andy locked onto her and grabbed her arms, pinning her to the nearest wall.

"Oh yes, Amy! Everything is just peachy!! Everything is-everything is fine! Everything is great!" he muttered, his voice becoming cracked an hysterical. "NO! Everything is NOT fine! Have you seen the sky?!"

Amy gritted her teeth as her brother's nails began digging into her skin. "No, I haven't, Andy. Let go."

Andy let go, but just so he could take her wrist and drag her to the door.

"Well, now's your chance! Go look!"

"Andy! I need my raincoat!" she shouted as he pushed her onto the front step. She waited to get soaked in the usual morning showers, but nothing came. Not a drop. She looked up at the sky and fell to her knees in shock.

The rain was gone. The entire sky was no longer a dull grey, but an intense blue Amy had only seen in her paintings.

Her paintings! With a flash of realization, she ran back into the house and up to her room, effectively shutting it just before her brother could get in.

"Amy, open the door!" he shouted.

"Go away! This is a dream! I know it!" she yelled back, pulling the ladder to the third floor down. She climbed it like a monkey and ripped her newest painting off the wall, positioning herself in front of the window. She scanned the scene outside the window, then looked at her painting. There was something off about it. The city was almost exactly the same, but the angle was different. Where should she have been positioned?

She made a quick sketch of the painting and stuffed it in her pocket, rolling her painting up so it would fit in the tube with the others, then slid back down into her room. Andy had just about had the door broken down by then, so she quickly added the painting to the others, hid the tube, and opened the door.

"It's real, isn't it…?" she asked quietly. Andy, looking withered, pulled Amy into a fierce hug.

"I'm afraid so…"

It was silent for a bit, then Andy added, "I don't want you to go into work today."

Amy pushed away, shaking her head. "I can't. I can't skip out on the queen, Andy. My job doesn't work like that."

"No job works like that, but I can't help but think that this signifies the end of the world or something."

Amy shook her head again and headed for the front door.

"No, it's not the end of the world. If it were, everyone would be in a panic. Now, I'm going to work. I'll be back by eight thirty."

Andy attempted to stop his sister again, but Amy was out the door before he could protest. She ran down the street with unnerving determination, unwilling to admit she was frightened by the sky, as well as her painting. They had to be completely different, with no connection whatsoever. She wouldn't accept it.

Her imagination eventually got the better of her as she swiftly made her way up to the castle. She began thinking that the sky had been her fault. If she hadn't dreamt it, let alone painted it, then it might not have happened. What if this was all her fault? If the world ended because of her, would anyone forgive her?

Before she realized it, she had gotten into the castle, changed into her uniform, and begun her ascent to the Queen's chambers. She'd spent her entire dash here worrying over her painting. Well, at least it was hidden now. She knocked lightly on the large doors, then opened them slowly.

The queen was at the window, her face inches from the glass. Her eyes were wide with amazement, but also flashing with fear and pain. She turned to Amy, who fell to her knees, her forehead pressed to the carpet.

"I'm sorry I'm late again, your majesty. My brother tried to keep me home today, but I thought my duty to you was more important."

The queen looked down at Amy with sad eyes, then looked back to the window.

"So you have seen the sky as well. It is as you dreamt, is it not?"

Amy stayed on the floor, squeezing her eyes shut. "I had nothing to do with it. It was only a dream."

"Nevertheless, you saw this." the queen turned and walked to Amy's side, pulling the girl up gently. "Let me see your eyes."

Amy wanted to ask for an explanation, but she still dared not to go against the queen's will.

The queen placed a thin finger under Amy's chin and looked deep into the girl's eyes, as if searching for something. Amy's blue eyes were swimming with images, clear and clouded, but there was something there. Something that almost seemed to frighten the queen enough until she took a few steps back.

"Your services aren't needed today, Amy. Just go home and pray for the rain to come back."

"A-a-are you sure, my lady?" When the queen didn't answer, Amy bowed and left the room, heading for the lower courtyards. She still had to keep the public gardens in good condition.

She began clipping bushes, the sun beating down on the bare skin of her arms. It was surprisingly hot out. Amy had never experienced this before, but she was determined to keep the flowers well watered and fed until the rain came back.

Unfortunately, the flowers were already wilting in the intense sunlight and heat, and Amy didn't know what to do. She kept up her rounds until a few more gardeners came, relieving her of some of her duties. All she had to do was collect the dying buds and bring them to the castle healer. Then she could go home.

She wandered through the bustling hallways, confused as to where the healer was. She'd asked the guards, but they were barely any help. They just told her to ask someone else.

Finally she found her friend Irene mopping the entryway, grumbling about not getting enough warning. Apparently, it had been her day off, but the staff manager had put her down for working today instead.

"Irene, what was your reaction to the sky this morning?" Amy asked. Irene kept mopping until she eventually reached the front door.

"Let's see. First I freaked out, then I freaked out, then I pinched myself, then I freaked out again. What do you think?!"

"Just wondering. Did you ever think about this before?"

"Everyone's thought about it once or twice in their lifetime, but no one has wished for it! The world will die if this goes on!"

Amy nodded as her friend continued her rant in a hushed voice, but her thoughts drifted away.

"Say, where's the castle healer?"

"Down the east hall, follow it all the way to the end. There's a deer horn above the doorway."

"Right. Thanks," she called, hurrying down the next hallway. Sometimes the castle was just a maze, like the first time she'd walked its lonely halls. Her footsteps echoed softly around her as she picked up the pace, a feeling of unease creeping into her mind. She didn't like being in a part of the palace she didn't know.

Unfortunately, Irene's directions had been off, and Amy ended up with the decision to either take a sharp left, or a slight right. She turned to look for a guard, but found she was completely alone. Beginning to freak out, she took a deep breath, then followed the right hallway. It began as a slight incline, but suddenly became stairs. She clung to the wall for support, but found herself facing a small, wooden door. She thought she saw a deer horn above it, so she pushed it open and headed deeper into the castle depths.

The hallway was well lit, but the torches cast eerie glows on the walls, giving form to the nightmares that lurked deep in Amy's imagination. She saw hands reaching for her, ghastly faces screaming silently in agony, and even small animals trying to claw at her feet. She jumped several times, thinking she heard a scream or a shout, but she quickly regained what composure she had left. She wanted to be outside so badly at that moment, but she had her work to complete.

She reached a hallway with one more door in front of her, but this one was frightening. It was iron wrought, and it looked as if something had rammed itself against it. It was odd, and she wanted to examine it, but she was taken aback by the thing beyond it.

On the other side of the door was a massive puddle of black goop. It convulsed with every noise Amy made, and formed what looked to be a head on the closest side.

"You…you reek of light…"

Amy went rigid at the sound of the creature's grating voice. She stood there, transfixed, as the creature slowly made its way towards her, extending a dripping arm at her. She fell backward,

"Why…have you…come here? You don't…belong here…"

"I-I-I was h-heading to the healer's r-room, and I t-took a wrong turn," Amy babbled out, trying to scoot backwards on the cold ground. She began panicking as the creature wrapped its makeshift hand around the bars, peering at her with yellow eyes.

"Ahhhh…you are human…beautiful…your kind has helped my kind for a long time…would you…be willing to help me?"

Amy relaxed herself a bit, frowning at the creature.

"What are you exactly?"

The creature made a sighing sound, then convulsed before answering.

"I am one of the darkness. One who has…lost their life…and their soul. I was placed here not long ago…but long enough so that I have…forgotten the light of the world. I am a creature known as a heartless…"

"Oh…I remember hearing something about you from a show I watched recently, but I can't recall what the professor said.

"Professor?" the creature asked, gaining a few inches at Professor Xe's mention. Amy explained the show to it, but slowly began realizing this creature was not exactly what the professor had said. She recalled him saying once that the heartless couldn't speak, aside from the one he'd called "Ansem".

"Will you…come back tomorrow?" the heartless asked. Amy, almost fond of the creature, nodded.

"I will. Oh, would you like a flower from the gardens?" she asked, realizing she still hadn't given the healer the blossoms. She held out one of the larger white flowers, watching the heartless take the gift and hold it with care.

"Thank you, child. Would you like a gift as well?"

"Oh, no, I really must get going-"

"No, I...insist! Hold out your hand, please."

Amy extended her hand carefully as the creature extended its own. It simply pressed it to her palm, then retreated. She saw her hand flash black, then a cold feeling washed over her body. She shivered, then turned to go.

"It's a gift from me to you. It will allow us to know of each other's whereabouts, so that if you need me, I will come to you," it called. Amy bit her lip and ran up the stairs, almost colliding with the wooden door she'd passed through earlier. She stumbled through it and back up the stairs, running past a set of guards. They watched her go with bewildered eyes, then ran after her.

"Hey! What were you going down there, maid?! Stop!"

Amy skidded to a halt, staring at the guards with frightened eyes. "Y-yes?"

"What were you doing down there?" one of them asked, gripping her arm.

"I was looking for the healer's room, but I got lost. My friend said to follow this hallway to the door with an antler above it, but I-"

"Alright, girl, that's enough. The healer is up a floor. We'll escort you there, then out of the castle."

"Oh…thank you," Amy said quietly, averting her eyes. She followed the guards to the nearby stairwell, gripping her arm as they walked swiftly up the steps, their armor clanking loudly.

When they reached the healer's room, they took their places on both sides of the door, holding their spears up straight.

"We will await you here. Please hurry."

"Of course," Amy said, ducking through the doorway.

The healer's room was large, but most of it was cluttered with cloth covered tables, oversized pestles, and, of course, the oversized cabinets of completely random medicines and ingredients. The floor was barely visible, and the walls were covered in charred and dyed marks, mostly from experiments gone bad and some from temper tantrums.

The healer sat in the far back, a pestle in her lap and a dozen different herbs resting on her crossed legs. Her long gray hair tumbled over her shoulders in braids, framing her tan face nicely. Her steely blue eyes cut through all that saw her, giving her the ability to see if someone is lying.

"Hello, Amy. I smell the flowers you brought me."

Amy sat down in front of the old woman, gripping the basket's handle in her shaking hands.

"Yes, I have brought you some flowers. They're from the courtyard. Do you want them?"

"Of course. They're chrysanthemums, right?"

"Yes."

The healer slowly unloaded the blossoms into a large bowl full of clear green fluid, checking to make sure all of them were floating before going for the next handful. It took a while, but eventually all the flowers were in the water, and the healer had talked her into helping her with some new medicines. They began grinding leaves and plucking apart a few flowers, quickly losing track of the time.

After they finished that, Amy realized she had no reason to stay anymore. She stood to leave, but the healing woman bent forward and took her hand.

"What has happened to you, child?" she asked, her eyes worried. Amy realized the woman was holding the hand the heartless hand touched and jerked it away.

"Nothing," she said quickly. The silver haired woman stared at her with piercing eyes, then began mumbling.

"Beware the power you hold, for you alone hold the key to this world's future."

Amy shook her head and left the room in a hurry, her already-high panic levels rising. Today was just not her day!

The guards took to her sides and escorted her to the staff room, then ushered her out the side door, watching her go until she was well up the street, heading out of the heart of the city. She thought she could still feel their eyes on her, but when she turned, they had gone back into the castle. She sighed with relief and clenched her right hand, the hand the heartless had touched. It felt heavy and cold, as if it didn't belong to her, but she dismissed any thoughts as she headed down the now darkening Main Street.

She glanced at the clock tower. It was almost six now, and that meant that she had a full two hours to get home.

"Attention all citizens!" a mechanical voice said over the many speakers rigged over the city. "This is a curfew reminder! The curfew has been pushed up due to the unfortunate event occurring in our sky! The curfew is six, as of noon today, and anyone caught outside without an ID card will be treated twice as harshly! That is all."

The loudspeaker clicked off with a snap, leaving the few people in the streets in a panic. Many people dug through their bags to look for their IDs. Others just booked it for home. Amy was one of the latter. Even if she had her ID card, the guards might not be one of the few friendly ones. Most of them were ruthless brutes to the core, and no piece of paper was going to stand in the way of their fun.

The clock tower began tolling out the hour, scaring Amy into a huge burst of speed. She made a sharp turn onto her street and slowed her pace a little, trying to catch her breath. She was barely tired now, and she definitely would need a shower or two to calm her vibrating nerves.

Unfortunately, she'd slowed down too much, and two guards were on her in seconds.

"Excuse me, miss, but where is your ID card?" one asked while the other tried to force back a smirk. Amy dug through her pockets for her card, but came up with nothing. She checked them again and again, but still she found nothing. She could feel the heat rising in her face at the thought of losing the one thing that would save her from a beating.

"I'm only a few doors away from my house. Can't you just let me go?" she asked, her voice pleading.

"I'm afraid we can't do that," the smirking guard said, locking his hand around Amy's arm tightly. She scrambled to get loose, but realized it was too late. She'd be beaten now for sure.

Suddenly, a miracle happened. Amy realized where she'd put her ID card.

"I know where my card is. Please let go."

The guard gripping her arm glared at her, then released her. She dug her hand into her back pocket, but this time checked the one she'd sewn onto it herself. The only difference was this one was hidden in the inside of her pants.

She flipped her ID card toward the guards, watching their faces fall with disappointment. It looked as if they had been looking forward to hurting her.

The first guard took her ID card and used a small blue flashlight on it. The blue light wasn't visible through the other side, proving it to be real. The guard tossed it back at her and made a shooing motion before dragging his unhappy friend off down the street.

Amy felt relief flood through her as she saw them turn the corner, then ran for home. She fumbled for the keys and opened the door, only to be tackled by Andy. He looked as if he'd seen a ghost.

"I was worried about you, stupid!" he said, as if answering her thoughts. "I saw the guards grab you and drag you off, so I was about to run and get you, but now you're safe and sound and at home!"

"Andy, breathe!!" Amy shouted, pushing away from the suffocating red head. He took a deep breath, then dragged his sister back into a hug.

"Oh my god, Amy. Thank god you're still here."

"I'm glad to be here, brother. Today just wasn't my day."

"Really? What happened?"

As Amy explained what had happened over the course of her day, Andy had zapped her dinner and set it up in the living room, along with a cup of tea for himself. She told him everything, but changed the heartless into a dark skinned prisoner and cut out the gift exchange entirely. She didn't want him worrying about her.

"Wow," Andy said as she finished her story. "That was quite a day. I hope everything doesn't change because of the sky."

"Yeah…I like living like this. With just you and the curfew to worry about."

"Yeah…"

They yawned in unison, and headed to their rooms, wishing each other sweet dreams before separating. Amy headed up to her room, but didn't stop there. She pulled the cord and released the ladder to the third floor, blinking back drowsiness. She pulled her smock on, picked up her paintbrush, and opened her many containers of paint. She closed her eyes and let her worries fade away, then dipped her paintbrush into her paint, letting the colors flow from her brush without any care.

--

About three hours later, Amy dropped her brush and hung up her smock. She was so tired, so couldn't even see straight. She hadn't even seen her painting, but she knew she's clock out in a few minutes.

She barely managed to climb down the ladder before collapsing on her bed, already locked in sleep's sweet embrace.

* * *

Destiny Islands - 6:30 pm. Saturday

Kairi sat out on the patio of her house, twiddling her thumbs in pure boredom. Today was the Festival of the Moon, and nothing would happen until later tonight. Yesterday's big event had been her performance with the girls from her school, but today's was slightly different. Today, Riku and Sora would be performing in the play put on by a group of younger kids. They'd be reenacting the founding of the islands.

The story went like this, according to their little blurb on the festival's website. There were six children in the beginning. Their names were Nora, Mhera, Cain, Tory, Tamaki, and Dylan. They were the first people to ever set foot on the islands. But in order to claim the islands for themselves, they had to defeat the great white beast who thrived there. Legend says that when the beast was defeated, the sun, then moon, and the stars were all visible at the same time.

Kairi sighed and looked at the dark sky above her. With the sun's light still just above the horizon, the stars were reluctant to come. She thought of the adventures she, Sora, and Riku had been on in the past. The memories were comforting, but Kairi almost wished she could travel in a Gummi Ship once more, just to see the stars and the worlds up close.

A howling noise snapped her from her thoughts, almost making her fall out of her personal hammock. She looked over the side of the deck, searching for the source of the noise, but only found beach. The noise came again, but this time Kairi realized it was coming from inside her house. She followed the noise to the hallway, then to her room, then to her closet. She yanked the doors open in an attempt to scare whatever had made the noise, but only ended up scaring herself.

Sunny lay at the bottom of her closet, sleeping like a baby. Kairi began panicking. What was Sunny doing in her closet?! How did she get there?!

She bent down and shook Sunny gently, rousing the little girl from her sleep. "Sunny? What are you doing in my closet?"

Sunny sat up and rubbed her eyes. She was still wearing the shirt Kairi had given her to wear yesterday. "I don't know. I always end up in dark places near my friends. I always appeared when Sora was around. He's really nice. But now I like you better, so I guess I'll be showing up in your closet from now on."

Kairi stifled a laugh at the Sora-like expression on Sunny's face: a huge grin that went from ear to ear, coupled with huge puppy eyes. She was so adorable!

Suddenly, the phone rang in the kitchen, making both girls jump. Kairi led Sunny into the living room, where the little girl immediately ran to the patio door and pulled it open. The smell of the sea wafted into the room, making Sunny giggle uncontrollably. Kairi answered the phone as Sunny ran onto the patio.

"Hello, this is Kairi," she said, pushing her bangs out of her eyes.

"Hey, Kairi! It's Sora!" a cheery voice answered.

"Hey, Sora. Shouldn't you be at the festival, getting your costume ready?"

"Nah! Finished it last night. Can you believe Riku and I got cast as monsters?!"

"No, Sora, I can't believe it," she said sarcastically, watching Sunny try and get up on the hammock. "Say, did Sunny ever appear in your house before?"

"No, why?" Sora asked.

"Oh, no reason. Just because she somehow ended up in my closet!"

The other end was silent for a minute, then a burst of laughter came from the other end. It wasn't Sora.

"Riku? Is that you over there?!"

"Yeah," the new voice replied. "She actually appeared in your closet? I wish I had been there to see your face."

"Oh, ha ha, boys, but what do we do? My mom and dad can't find out about her, or she'll end up with the police!"

The other end was silent as Sunny came in, gripping her hand tightly.

"Kairi, I fell off that thing out there and started bleeding."

"Oh no! Guys, hang on a minute. Sunny hurt herself."

Kairi set the phone down and got a paper towel, pressing it to the small cut before running to the closet to get a bandage. Sunny wound the paper towel around her hand and wiped the blood on her other hand onto it before picking up the phone.

"Sora? Riku? Are you there?"

"Sunny? Are you okay?" Sora asked. Sunny nodded.

"I'm fine. I just fell off the cloth thing outside."

"You mean the hammock?" Riku asked. "Don't worry. Sora's fallen off that thing countless times."

"Hey!"

Sunny laughed as the boys traded friendly punches on the other end, but set the phone down when Kairi came back with a small white box. The redhead set it on the floor and took the paper towel off Sunny's hand, only to see the cut seal itself up. She blinked several times, then ran her hand over the thin pink line on the back of the little girl's hand.

"Kairi, am I going to be okay?"

Kairi nodded mutely, wiping the last of the blood away. "You'll be fine. Come on, I'll help you onto the hammock. Just promise you won't rock it too much."

"I promise."

Kairi took a few moments to help the little girl up into the hammock before returning to the phone, where she heard Sora and Riku calling her name.

"I'm here, boys. I didn't disappear off the face of the planet."

"That's good. Is Sunny okay?" Riku asked.

"Sunny…is just fine. She just got a little scrape. It practically healed right in front of me." The last part had been a little too shaky, but the boys ignored it.

"So we're going to head out. We'll see you in a few minutes," Sora said.

"Okay, guys. See you there."

There was a click on the other end and Kairi hung up, joining Sunny on the patio. The little girl smiled joyfully at the sky as Kairi had done many times. Just watching the clouds pass by was so relaxing that it almost always put her to sleep.

"Sunny, let's go," she said.

Sunny turned to her and slid off the hammock in one quick movement.

"Go where?" she asked. Kairi locked the patio door and offered Sunny her hand.

"We're heading to the Festival of the Moon. Sora and Riku are in it this time."

"Yay! Let's go!"

The girls headed down the stairs to the beach, then around the house and up the road. Sunny was grinning the entire time, skipping merrily to a song that was playing through her head. She was so happy, it was contagious. Random people passing by watched her little dance and couldn't help but smile. Kairi saw it happen the entire time it took them to reach the festival entrance. Everything was the same as yesterday, except instead of there being a giant yellow sun on the banner, there was a silver moon.

Sunny suddenly made a mad dash for the festival, forcing Kairi to sprint after her. Sunny's target turned out to be Sora and Riku, and she nearly tackled both of them to the ground.

"Welcome back, Sunny," Sora said, still trying to gain back his wind. Riku coughed and ruffled the little girl's hair.

"Good to see you. You're going to enjoy today's event."

"I hope so! Kairi said you two would be in it!"

"You bet we are!" Sora said, punching the air. Riku bopped his friend on the head and shook his head.

"We've got monster parts. He's a smaller monster, and I'm the big white beast of the islands. Hoo-rah."

Sunny grinned at the idea. "You got chosen because of your hair!"

Riku arched an eyebrow as Kairi nodded.

"She's probably right. You're the only one on the island besides your dad that has naturally silver hair. It's as close to white as we can get."

"Has anyone ever heard of a wig?" Riku grumbled. "Still, it's kind of fun. I get to look scary and foreboding."

Their conversation continued for a few minutes, but then they had to go their separate ways. Riku and Sora headed to the big stage the festival staff had set up, and Kairi and Sunny sat in the chairs nearest to the stage.

The play began after ten minutes of setting up the background. By then, all the chairs were filled and Sunny was bouncing in her seat, swinging her legs with extreme energy. When the actors walked out on stage, she cheered the loudest by far, and Kairi had to tell her to stop.

The actors were all children, as described in the story, and had memorized their lines perfectly. The amount of effort they put into the play was so large that it blew everyone away. Every scene was detailed, every actor displayed their emotions well, and no one was sitting when the last scene finally came.

Sora was dressed head to toe in white, and he had a fox mask on. He and the four other actors dressed in white with masks (consisting of a serpent, a fox, a dog, a human, and a dragon) joined hands and spun around. Smoke erupted on the spot, engulfing them in white fog. They quickly got off stage as the last monster was revealed.

It was Riku, dressed in all white. He had four heads on his shoulders besides his own, each facing a different direction, which had the masks of the four previous monsters. He wore no mask, but his face was painted white with red spots around his eyes. His hands were white and had sharp fake nails glued on, giving him a demonic look.

"You who seek my islands, leave now and never come back!" he bellowed, his voice changed by a voice changer. The children stood firmly in their places, their wooden swords pointed at Riku.

"No way, monster! You're time is up!"

The children lunged at Riku, who went down quickly. The children raised their swords in victory, and the audience erupted in applause. The play had been a success, and by far was one of the greatest things the islanders had ever seen. This would be remembered for a very long time.

The gang killed the last few hours playing games and winning prizes. They were all having fun, and no one wanted it to end. Everything was wonderful. They took a break on the beach in Kairi's backyard, laughing their butts off as they lay sprawled out on the sand.

"That was really funny when you gave that fake shout at the end, Riku," Kairi said sarcastically. "I really believed it."

"Glad to hear my acting was so great!" Riku said with a grin. Kairi stifled a laugh and turned on Sora.

"It was funny where those kids were chasing you around the stage, like in one of those old cartoons."

"Yeah! In one door, and out another until you have no idea where you are! That was great!"

"I wish I could've been up on stage!" Sunny said. Sora sat up and looked down at her.

"Well, next time we'll try and get you up there, okay?" he said, offering his hand to shake.

"Sure!" Sunny reached for Sora's hand, but it slipped through his, like the first time. She watched herself disappear for a few seconds, then smiled happily at everyone. "Thanks for the wonderful time today, everyone! I had a great day!"

With that, Sunny disappeared, leaving no trace of her presence except for imprints in the sand. Kairi sighed and looked up at the stars.

"Where do you think she goes at night?"

"I dunno," the boys answered, standing up. "We'll see you tomorrow on the island, Kairi."

Kairi nodded and waved goodbye before retreating to her house, to her room. She watched the sea wash over the sand with a slight ache in her heart. She wished Sunny could stay forever, no matter how childish it sounded. That's what she wished with all her friends.

She changed into her pajamas and opened her window a little, just so she could hear the sound of the ocean waves. She then crawled under her bed sheets and closed her eyes, wondering what Sunny's home looked like.

* * *

Yay! Almost 6000 words in this chapter! I'm on a roll! Anyhoo, have a good day/night, dear readers! Cheerio! XD


	5. More Mysteries

It's that time again, readers! That time when I give you an update! I'm really getting into the later chapters, so I hope you stick with me! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own Amy, Ross, Sunny, Aetas, and...yeah. Ok, enjoy!

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Chapter 5: More Mysteries

"It's coming," someone whispered. "It's finally coming! It's almost here!"

Huh? What's here? Who are you?

"It's coming! My desire is coming! Ahahahahaha! The darkness is finally coming!!"

Amy's eyes snapped open as she sat up suddenly. She was drenched with sweat, and her hands were shaking. She'd had a nightmare, but she couldn't remember a bit of it. Only that voice. It sounded so familiar, but she just couldn't place it.

There was a knock at her bedroom door, then Andy came in. He had dark circles under his eyes, and there was an unsteady rhythm to his walking.

"Amy, are you alright?" he asked, fighting back a yawn. Amy nodded.

"I was just having a nightmare, I think. Is it…still sunny?" she asked warily. Andy motioned towards her window, which was dark. She sighed with relief, but froze afterwards. There was no rain. She couldn't hear any rain. She voiced her thoughts to Andy, who just shrugged.

"I don't know what wrong with this place anymore. Take a good look at the sky, Amy."

Amy did, and almost fell off her bed with surprise.

High in the sky, floating way off the ground, was a large silver castle. Unlike the castle in Aetas, this one had many towers and many windows. It looked extremely out of place, even if it hadn't been floating in the air.

Amy pushed Andy out of her room, claiming she was going to get dressed, and quietly climbed upstairs. She hadn't gotten to look at her painting from last night, and she wanted to put it away as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, she was going to need more than a few minutes to put this one away. She had painted the castle that hung in the sky over the city. The exact same one! Every detail was precise, every color the perfect shade. It was so perfect that it frightened Amy. She tore it from the canvas and rolled it up, climbing down and shoving it into the tube of paintings before throwing on pair of cargo pants and a loose black T-shirt. Today, she was going to see Ross, whether he wanted to see her or not.

She stuffed her sketch of her other frightening painting in her pocket absentmindedly and climbed back into her room, kicking everything out of her way as she shuffled to the door. When she got downstairs, she saw Andy sitting on the couch, his head in his hands. He was obviously stressed, and Amy was reluctant to leave him, but she had to see him.

"Andy, I'm going out shopping with Irene. I'll be back later this afternoon."

"Okay…," was the mumbled reply she got. She slipped on her shoes and headed out the door, beginning her trek to the castle. She didn't know where Ross lived, but she had to find out soon, or she'd lose her mind. All the events had something to do with him and that man he lived with. She was sure of it. The paintings, the inspiration, the TV shows, they were all connected somehow, but Amy need proof before she could say anything to anyone.

The castle entrance came into view now, and she could see a small troupe of soldiers standing in front of the stairs. They stood perfectly still, and only the one on the end turned to watch Amy's approach. He stared her down with his distant brown eyes, and his grip on his sword tightened when she got within twenty feet of him.

"State your business!" he shouted, his glare intensifying. Amy flinched, but held out her ID card.

"I'm a maid here, but I have an appointment with Sir Ross."

The guard took her card and flashed a light on it, then handed it back to her.

"Take the staff entrance and be quick about your business. The king has declared the city to be on high alert for the rest of the week."

"Of course, sir," she said with a bow. She shivered as she made her way to the staff entrance. The guard's gaze felt like a hot iron on her skin, pushing her to quicken her pace. She fumbled with the door until she got inside, but realized it was one of her days off. She had to have business in the castle, or she'd be tossed out. The guards may have fallen for her excuse, but no one else would. Maybe the queen could help her.

She didn't even bother changing into her maid uniform before she headed up to the queen's chambers, but she was stopped by the guards outside the room, which had tripled since yesterday.

"The queen has fallen ill, and will not be taking any visitors today."

Amy's shoulders slumped as she headed back to the staff rooms, but took a small detour. There was one place she hadn't checked yet.

She silently slipped out into the courtyard and began her search for the elusive boy. She searched every inch of the gardens, even going so far as to try and climb one of the statues riddled about the area, but it was all in vain. Ross was no where to be found.

As she headed back to the staff rooms for the last time, Amy couldn't help but wonder where exactly Ross was staying. He hadn't said anything on the subjects while they had spoken those numerous times, even when they'd talked about the professor. He had shared very little about himself, truth be told. He'd almost completely avoided questions about himself and his past. Was there something terrible about it? Had he done something wrong? Amy went as far as to wonder if Ross had killed someone. She shook her head. Ross wouldn't be able to kill someone. Not a chance, he was too friendly.

Amy wandered the halls, putting off leaving, when something began tugging slightly at the back of her mind. She stopped and looked around, quickly realizing she had accidentally wandered back to the stairway to the dungeons. She quickly turned around in an attempt to head back, but something was calling to her from below. Was it the heartless, trying to call out to her?

Before she had a chance to try and leave, she'd started waking down the stairs. It was as if something was pushing her from behind. She wanted nothing more than to turn around and run home, but the force making her legs move was too strong. She eventually made it to the wooden door, and her hand moved this time. It gently pushed the wood to the side, and she continued her walk for the last few yards before stopping in front of the iron door.

The heartless was still there, only this time, it was larger, and its yellow eyes were sharper. It almost looked…human, in a strange way. Its eyes held more intelligence than the last time she'd seen it.

"Ah…you came when I called, child."

"I…guess. What did you need?" Amy replied with a shrug, trying hard to hide her fear.

"Assurance," the black creature said. "Has the castle appeared?"

"You mean the big silver one floating in the sky? Yeah, it's thrown the entire city into a panic, coupled with the lack of rain."

The heartless threw back its head and laughed. "I knew it! I've gotten stronger since then, and that castle is the reason behind it. I know it!" The heartless rose up and changed its form. Its limbs became thin and pointed, its head became more round as well as tattooed with blue lines. It grew hands, which were long and pointed, and it grew two large antennas that bent at odd angels.

"Ah…I can feel the fear and hatred in this city growing…It's simply wonderful!"

Amy had begun inching backwards, and was now far enough away that she could run to the door. But the heartless was her movements and reached out to her. It clasped her hand, the same hand it had touched before, and its eyes grew white. They stayed that way until Amy broke free, falling back onto the stairs.

"Child, do not be afraid. I am in your debt for what you have done."

"What have I done?" she asked warily, scrambling to get a foothold.

"You have shown me the outside world and what goes on in them. You have shown me your memories from the past two weeks of your life, and all that has gone on in them. You have prolonged my life with those images of fear, and I declare to you, Amy, that I am in your debt."

The heartless bowed to her, pressing its tattooed forehead to the ground. That was all Amy could take. She bolted up the stairs in a heartbeat and slammed the wooden door behind her, pressing her back against it so it supported her. That creature scared hr so much, and yet she felt drawn to it. What was wrong with her?

"What are you doing down here again, maid?"

Amy's face went white as a sheet as she stared at the guards in front of her. They glared at her through narrowed eyes.

"I-I-I got lost!" she stammered, knowing full well no one would believe that excuse twice. The guards grabbed her arms and dragged her back through the wooden door and down the stairs. They passed the heartless, who watched them disappear deeper into the dungeons via the hallway to the right. Amy went the whole way kicking and screaming, trying to get away, but the guards just tightened their grip, cutting the circulation off in both arms.

They threw her in the next open cell threw her inside, ignoring the sickening crack that resonated around the room and down the hall. They left after locking the door, leaving Amy lying on the floor near the back of the room.

In her eyes, the walls were spinning around her. She was seeing spots of white and black blooming across her vision, making her even dizzier. Her arm was on fire now, but she couldn't scream. Her voice had left her.

The guards came back, but this time they had a razor-thin sword and a whip.

"You're going to get it, girl. It was hard to believe someone could just wander down here one time, but two times in such short time? You went looking for trouble yourself, so you know very well what happens next."

The silent guard uncoiled the whip as the other one forced Amy's wrists into the cuffs hanging on the wall. He placed his sword against her spine and sliced the fabric of her shirt clean in half. It left a small cut from the base of her neck to the top of her pants, but she didn't flinch. The worst was yet to come.

Finally, after hearing the whip being pulled taunt several times, the first blow finally came. It stung like mad, and she wanted to scream so badly, but she bit her lip until it bled. The guards didn't make a sound either, but she could feel their smirks bearing down on her back.

Blow after stinging blow came down on Amy's back for a long time. Amy had lost track after the first few, but when they slowed, her knees gave out and she fell against the wall, her cuffed arms the only things holding her off the floor. The guard stopped and came over to her, pulling on a fistful of hair so she was forced to look at him.

"You want to tell us why you were down here?"

Amy winced as he pulled back harder, then answered, "The heartless was talking to me."

The guard let go of her, much to her relief, but kicked her hard in the side. She felt his steel toed boots bite into her side, and she accidentally let out a cry. The guard kicked her again, but this time harder.

"You liar! The heartless can't talk! No has ever heard it speak!"

The whip came down on her a again, but this time it was followed by at least a dozen more strikes. She felt as if her back were on fire, ad she could see her blood pooling slowly on the floor below her.

_Someone…help me…please…_

She felt the whip miss its target and bit into her shoulder.

_Help me…please, someone help!_

The whip bit into her wound in her side, tearing the cut open even more.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!!"

Her call for help echoed down the hall with surprising volume. The heartless's antennas twitched at the sound, and it began throwing itself against the bars of the door. It kept smashing into the door until finally, after at least six runs, the door gave way. The heartless darted out the door and down the hall, following the sounds of the whip.

It reached the cell in a few bounds, but peeked into it with caution. It had a plan, but it required stealth. Piece of cake for one of the dark.

It snuck up behind the first guard and dug its pointed fingers into the man's windpipe, silencing him forever. It then dug its hand into the man's chest and pulled out a small crystal in the shape of a heart. It gazed at it lustily, then devoured it in an instant. It grew a few inches, taking on more of a beastly form, and raked its claws down the last guard's back and legs, slicing cleanly through the armor he wore. The man fell with a yell, but for the last time.

Amy turned to see the heartless behind her, reaching for her.

"I came, Amy, and now I will get you out of here, in thanks for giving me the strength to escape."

"No…problem…," she mumbled, her voice raspy and quiet. The heartless sliced through the chains connecting Amy to the wall with a single claw, then pulled her onto it's shoulders. Then, with the speed of a wolf, it tore out of the dungeons and up the stairs, not even pausing to break down the doors. They came off their hinges when the heartless fired a small blast of magic at them.

They reached the bright hallway in seconds, and were even faster when getting to the front entrance. Maids and other castle staff ran screaming in terror at the sight of the huge, beast-like shadow, and screamed even more when they saw Amy, who was leaving a trail of blood down the hall.

"Wait," she rasped out as they reached the front entrance. "There are…soldiers out there…"

"Is there another way out, Amy?" the heartless asked. Amy twitched her head in a nod, and pointed out the way to the courtyard. "There might be…a way out through there…if you can jump high enough."

"Me? Jump high? Amy, my kin have climbed skyscrapers without falling off. We are perfect creatures," it boasted

Amy half listened to the heartless's bragging until she drifted off. She only realized she'd fallen asleep after she was bumped awake. She looked around as much as she could without moving her shoulders, realizing they were facing the Makoto District, also known as the Veracity District. She forced herself to sit up, pulling her shirt around her so the cut edges were in front of her, then looked at the castle behind them.

It was the same angle as her sketch. She slowly dug it out of her pocket and held it up, trying to see in the bright light of the sun. She had to be farther away from the castle.

"Head down that street, please? I need to find someone."

"Isn't your home on the other side of the city?"

"Yes…but I can't go home looking like this…I need to find Ross."

The heartless began making its way down the street in bounds, but spoke again.

"You mean that black haired boy from your memories?"

"Yes. He's…a very dear friend…who I truly know very little about."

"Does he, by any chance, live with a silver haired man by the name of Xe?"

"Yes."

"Well, that's where I'm headed, so I'd be glad to take you there. Hold on tight!"

The heartless stopped running and vaulted onto the roofs of the nearby houses, using its momentum to run even faster.

The ride was strange for Amy. Here she was, riding a giant heartless beast, her shirt torn to shreds, welts and cuts all over her back, and she wasn't afraid. It should've been a terrifying experience, but she felt nothing. Nothing was going through her mind. She couldn't feel anything except the stinging of her wounds and the bruise on her side.

"I think this is it," the heartless called back, bring Amy back to the present. She held her sketch up and faced the castle, noticing how the lines met up perfectly with the real setting. She looked back, her eyes immediately landing on the large mansion below. She saw shapes moving frantically behind the curtains, and she thought she glimpsed Ross in one of the upper windows.

The heartless jumped from the roof it'd been sitting on over to the mansion yard, completely bypassing the gate. Amy slumped against the heartless's head, too weak with blood loss to do anything more than sleep. The heartless, realizing Amy's predicament, trotted to the door and slammed its clawed hand against it. A frightened maid answered the door, then shrieked and ran away, leaving the heartless and Amy in the doorway. They came inside quickly, and Amy slipped from her place and fell to the floor.

Ross, hearing the commotion from his room, came running, shouting at Amy.

"Amy?! Amy, hold on! Don't die!"

He slapped her face lightly in an attempt to keep her from falling asleep, but she was far away by then, completely out cold. He picked her up and managed to get two feet before a hand appeared in front of his face.

"Ross? What are you doing?" the professor asked. Ross glared at him.

"I'm getting Amy medical attention, that's what I'm doing!"

"Ah…so this is Amy. I knew I recognized her from somewhere. She was that girl you met the first day we came here." Professor Xe lifted Amy out of Ross' arms, much to the boy's displeasure, and carried her upstairs into one of the spare rooms. The heartless, with no need for his beast form, shifted back into its smaller state and followed them, watching from the doorway.

The professor laid Amy on her back and began taking notes on her wounds.

"She's got a nasty bruise on her side, her arm's been fractured, and all those cuts are from the guard's whip. She was punished for finding me."

The professor looked at the heartless with intrigued eyes, then turned back to the girl. He proceeded to heal Amy's arm, then went to work on her side. Everything healed quickly, but the professor reached his limit quicker than he'd anticipated. The bleeding had stopped now, and the professor started to leave.

"Oh, and Ross?" he called back at the last minute. "Run by the girl's house and pick up her things. She'll be needing them."

Ross bowed his head and reluctantly called in a maid, instructing her to stay with Amy until he returned. She bowed her head and took a seat next to the bed, and Ross quickly slipped out into the city, heading for Amy's house, already working up a plan to get inside.

Professor Xe, on the other hand, was already in deep conversation with the heartless.

"So, you are the heartless I've been searching for? The one that will give me back what I lost?"

The heartless nodded. "Of course, _professor_. I contain most of what you want."

"Most? What about the rest?"

"You remember the boy named Riku, correct? He has a part of your power, and he must give it back for us to be complete again."

"Of course…well, shall we get to it?"

"Of course."

Professor Xe and the heartless grasped each other's hand tightly. Their hands began emitting a dark glow, and they disappeared in a flash of light. In their place, standing tall with power and dignity, was Xemnas, nearly complete.

"Yes…almost complete…," he whispered to himself as he headed into the basement.

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Whoo! Go cliffhanger! Hope you liked it. I got really bored, so I wrote it like this. I had no other idea to go on. Anyway, this story is beginning to pick up! See you next chapter! XD


	6. The Island

Chapter 6 is up! Whoo-hoo! I am a happy writer! I had fun with this one, so I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I own Amy, Ross, Sunny, and the random worlds you hear about from here on out. Yar.

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Chapter 6: The Island

Amy's head was swimming. She couldn't tell up from down, her head ached like she'd gotten a concussion, and she felt nauseous. She couldn't open her eyes. They felt as if they'd been glued shut. She tried moving her limbs, but they just erupted in pain. She began seeing fireworks, explosions of color that faded to black, until her vision had gone dark.

Suddenly, she was standing outside Ross's mansion, a paintbrush in one hand, her tube of paintings in the other. She saw the castle overhead, then lifted her hand, quickly covering it in black paint. The paint stayed where it was, suspended in the sky above her. She lifted her brush again, but this time painted over not only the castle, but the entire city. Her paint turned to purple, and she began creating another painting. Orbs of purple and black fell from the swirling black sky, leveling buildings in a single explosion of black. She was destroying the world, and she didn't feel a thing.

A sharp pain lanced through her shoulder and she dropped her brush. It shattered on the floor, her concentration going with it. Her body erupted in pain, and she dropped to the ground in a faint.

She jolted awake and sat up, waking from her nightmare in a flash. She was in different clothes now, not to mention she was in a house she didn't recognize. She pulled the soft sheets up to her chin, but winced as the cuts on her back threatened to open. She leaned back against the headboard and closed her eyes, slowly recalling the events that occurred before her passing out.

"You're awake," someone said. Amy turned to see Ross sitting in a chair next to the bed, his eyes downcast. "It's only been a few hours since you were brought here. How are you feeling?"

"Angry."

"Angry?" he repeated, cocking his head to the side. "Why are you angry?"

"Because, lard-for-brains, I was scared! You freaked me out a few nights back, then never spoke to me again!" she vented. "I actually packed up my things because you scared me so much! I've been so confused, and I kept thinking you were mad at me and-!"

Amy pulled her knees to her forehead and burst into tears, ignoring them as they dripped onto the sheets. Ross sat on the bed and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry, Amy, but there's a reason why I did that. I did it because I didn't want the professor finding out what you looked like. Once he found that out, he'd try and kidnap you or something, and I couldn't bear to see you get hurt."

Both of them were silent for a few minutes, then Amy pushed away. She looked at the canvas set up on her easel, watching it's hidden picture forming before her eyes. Ross saw the look in her eye and backed away.

"You brought my things here…why?"

"Because my master ordered it. He found me, therefore I do as he says."

Amy stood up, despite the pain from her back, and picked up her paintbrush. Ross got out her paints, but she shook her head.

"No…this painting only requires two colors." She selected the black and the purple, then set to work, recreating her nightmare on the canvas.

* * *

She finished after a half an hour, and Ross quickly moved the painting to his room, where no one would find it, and came back. Amy was asleep again, her face smudged with black paint, so Ross was left with nothing to do but wait for her to wake up.

Crash. A scream. What sounded like thunder.

Ross's gaze went from Amy to the door. He could see a maid rushing up the stairs, and he got up to meet her.

"What happened?!" he whispered urgently. The maid was frantic.

"The sky's suddenly gone black, even though it's only four in the seven in the evening! The world is ending, young master! We're all going to die!"

As the maid ran away to warn the staff, Ross rushed to Amy's side and gently shook her awake. She grumbled about sleeping for a bit, but eventually got up. By then, Ross had gathered her things together; her backpack from home, her paintings, her paintbrushes and paints, her ID card, and a set of fresh clothes.

Amy narrowed her eyes at Ross and opened her mouth to speak, but fell into silence as a deep rumbling filled the air. Both she and Ross rushed to the window. Amy was smiling now, almost giddy.

"Ross, it's the rain! The rain's come back!"

"No…," he said quietly. "That's not rain. That's the dark."

"What?" Seh glanced at him incredulously. "How is this not rain?! Are you nuts?"

"Hurry, we don't have much time! Put this on!" he said, thrusting the clothes at her. She shot him a look, then hurried into the next room to change. He'd given her a black shirt that tied around the neck with an open back, as well as a pair of jeans that fit her well.

When she rejoined Ross in the other room, he looked terrified. He had her latest painting in his hands and was studying it with fear in his eyes.

"I can't believe it…I just can't believe it."

"Believe what, Ross?"

Ross shoved the painting in her face. "You painted the future!"

Amy blinked several times, then looked out the window.

"No…"

"Unfortunately, yes. No wonder Xemnas came here. He was looking for others."

"Others?"

"Other with power. Ones who aren't normal, or completely human."

Amy thought her jaw would break through the floor instead of merely hitting it.

"What?! What are you saying?! I'm human! See?" She spun around. "I'm a completely normal human!"

"Can a normal human do this?!" he cried, motioning towards the window. Amy flinched at his words and averted her eyes, unwilling to accept anything.

"I'm afraid he's right, Amy."

Both teens spun around towards the door. Xemnas stood there, arms crossed over his chest, his gold eyes piercing both of them.

"Oh no, Ross. You've scared her. Poor thing. Come here, Amy. I won't lie to you." Xemnas offered his hand. Amy looked at Xemnas, then at Ross, then slowly reached for Xemnas's hand. Ross inhaled deeply and grabbed Amy's arm, yelling, "Amy! Shut your eyes!"

Amy, caught off guard by their sudden touch, clamped her eyes shut. Ross began an inaudible chant of some kind, and a black orb surrounded them. Xemnas cried out and attempted to reach for them, but the teens were gone, disappearing in an explosion of black light.

Xemnas sighed and headed back towards the mansion's front door, stopping outside to stare up at the sky with desire.

"Soon I shall have my kingdom again," he whispered, raising his hands towards the sky. The destruction of the city sped up. Cries of pain and sorrow echoed from every direction, feeding the silver haired man's need for destruction. He laughed maniacally at the sight of thousands of shadows invading the city, destroying everything and stealing hearts. Then he disappeared in a burst of black light, leaving the heartless to finish the city off. He had gathered his followers earlier that day, so there was no need to stay any longer.

* * *

Destiny Islands, 8:00 pm, Sunday

Sora, Riku, and Kairi were having a blast! One day out of every ten years, and they got to run the haunted island! They had worked for two weeks on it, and hearing the screams of frightened children were their rewards.

Sora sat back down behind the bush he was hiding behind, using a laser pointer to send Riku the signal for more kids coming. Riku, taking his position once again on the glider, sent his flock of bats flying at the kids. They shrieked in terror and ran ahead, on towards Tidus and his undead zombie group that consisted of him, Waka, and Selphie.

"Hey Sora!"

Sora fought back a shout as he almost fell backwards, almost crushing Sunny. She scrambled out of the way just in time, narrowly missing a squashing.

"Be careful, Sora, or you might hurt someone…or yourself."

"I know…you just scared me, Sunny," he whispered. Sunny grinned and wandered away, heading for Riku's position.

Sora scared another group of kids with his crazy glow-in-the-dark face, but froze when he saw the fireworks bursting overhead. Everyone on the island stopped to watch them go off. They were dazzling at night. Bursts of red, green, blue, and yellow filled the sky with patterns.

But something else caught Sora's eyes. One bright star high above the fireworks gave a bright twinkle, then simply went out.

He jumped the bush and ran onto the beach, frowning at the sky. Riku and Kairi joined him, frowning as well.

"You saw it too?" he asked them. They nodded.

"I thought we fixed all that," Riku said, clenching his fist.

"Well, the King did say that there will always be darkness. I just hoped the heartless might just go away."

"We all wished it," Kari said, taking their hands. "And if we get called away again, I'm going too."

"Wait a-"

Sora was interrupted by a child's scream, coming from further down the beach. The three of them ran as fast as they could, hoping that the child had been scared by one of the props.

What they found was Sunny, backing away from a large dark shape that was half on the beach, half in the water.

"Did any of you put a fake body there?" Riku asked. Sora and Kairi just shook their heads. Riku took a deep breath and stepped closer to Sunny. "Sunny, go over to Sora and Kairi, okay?"

The little girl nodded and did as she was told. Riku kneeled next to the body and pushed the hair away from the head. It was a dark haired girl about his age. She was deathly pale, and there were cut marks all down her back. Riku stood up and tried to pick up the girl, but she moved first.

"Ro..ss?" she mumbled, looking up at Riku with her bloodshot brown eyes. She seemed to stare at him for ages, then tackled him in a hug. "Oh my god, Ross! I thought you were dead! I thought I was dead! Oh thank god we're alive!"

Riku was at a loss for words as the girl clung to him like lost child, crying like a baby. Sora and Kairi were stunned at the girl's behavior.

"Who's Ross?" he finally asked. The girl stopped crying and pushed away from him, taking in his entire appearance this time. She froze, blinked a few times, then scrambled back.

"What the?! You look just like him!" The girl tugged on Riku's silver hair, then stared him straight in the eyes. Riku, surprised by all this, was completely frozen in place.

"Hey! Who are you?!" Sora shouted. The girl jumped up and hopped a few feet away, then promptly fell over in a dead faint. Sora and Kairi checked to see that she was still alive, but didn't see the stars rapidly blinking out one by one. Riku noticed.

"Guys! The sky!"

Sora and Kairi immediately looked up, their jaws hitting the ground.

"The stars are going out again!" Sora yelled.

"What do we do?!" Kairi cried, gripping Sora's arm like a baseball bat. Riku stood up and held his hand out. The Way to Dawn, his Keyblade, appeared, and he got in his fighting stance.

"We have to fight. When the stars went out last time, what was to blame?"

Sora and Kairi stopped freaking out and nodded, bringing their Keyblades out as well.

"The heartless."

As if on cue, millions of shadows swarmed forth from the secret place, practically flooding the entire island with black. They surged forward, driven by desire, and attacked with all their strength.

There looked to be no end to them, they just kept coming in such huge waves that all three teens were quickly overwhlemed.

"What do we do?!" Kairi shouted as she parried the blow of a Neo-shadow. Riku shook his head as he slashed through four smaller heartless.

"I have no idea, Kairi! There's got to be a way out of this! Sora? What about you?"

Riku waited for a reply, but saw what was keeping his friend from answering. Sunny and the new girl were completely unprotected in the massive onslaught, and that was Sora's cue to be a hero.

"Rising Sun!" he shouted as he rose into the air and skewered almost ten heartless on his sword. He quickly performed the move over and over until he was by the girls again. He stood there, panting heavily.

"I have no idea what to do, but we have to keep fighting! At least until we're so sore that we drop!"

"Oh, that's really comforting, Sora!" Kairi hissed, finishing off an Invisible. Riku pursed his lips and fought off a few Angel Tears, smashing their crystal cores to bits.

"I'm not going down now!" he shouted. "Are you?!"

"No way!" Sora and Kairi said in unison. Riku grinned, then jumped back so he was closer to his friends.

"Then let's try that one move you were telling us about, Sora!"

"You mean that one? Okay, let's give it a shot!"

The three friends circled Sunny and the girl, then spun their weapons above their heads before driving them into the ground.

"Courage!" Sora shouted.

"Power!" Riku, yelled.

"Love!" Kairi cried.

"Trinity Flash!" they shouted in unison.

Their Keyblades glowed brightly, then illuminated the ground with intricate patterns that wove through the sands, eliminating every heartless it touched. It lasted for a few seconds, then disappeared with a flash. The three were left kneeling on the ground, completely winded.

"Well, that took more out of me than I thought!" Sora said with a grin. "But at least we beat them all!"

"Uh, Sora? Don't be too sure about that…," Riku said, pointing towards the sea. It had turned black during the fight, and quickly began spawning more heartless. And the fight began again, but this time, the three teens were at a big disadvantage. Once again, no end to the heartless, and no end to the disappearing lights in the sky.

"Sora, this is hopeless!" Kairi shouted over the screech of a darkball.

Sora sliced a few Red Nocturnes and growled, "Don't you dare give up, Kairi! This will end soon! I know it!"

Sunny sat on the ground behind Sora, pressing her hands to her ears. The cries and shrieks of the dying heartless were killing her ears. Her head was going to explode, it hurt so much.

"It's okay."

Sunny brought her hands away from her ears and looked back at the brown haired girl who'd fainted a second ago. She was sitting up now, smiling warmly.

"We'll be fine," she said. "If we believe in them, we'll be okay." The girl offered Sunny her hand. Sunny stared at the complete stranger who had trusting eyes. She spoke not to calm Sunny down, but to strengthen her faith in Sora and the others.

The little girl took the offered hand slowly, but felt a rush of relief flood through her mind. It was pleasant, and Sunny smiled at the girl.

"My name's Sunny. Who are you?"

"Amy. My name's Amy."

A flash of light suddenly erupted from the girls' clasped hands, surrounding them before exploding like a giant firework. The lights produced by the explosion raced over everything in sight, filling everything with a sense of hope. The people caught in the dark raid unprepared rose up again, almost as if they'd merely fallen over and passed out. The three teens stopped fighting to watch the lights dance over their home, then followed their return to the source. Their eyes fixed on the two girls who were holding hands.

"Sunny, what happened?" Sora asked. Sunny blinked, as if awakening from a trance, then stood up.

"Sora, it was amazing! I felt all lightheaded for a minute, but then I saw a whole bunch of lights surrounding me! It was like I was being wrapped in a super comfy cocoon or something!"

"What she said," Amy said, letting Sunny go so she could stand up. "It was a wonderful feeling."

The others were speechless, but not for long. Sunny soon collapsed onto Amy's leg, exhausted. Amy gently lifted Sunny up and handed her to Sora.

"She's an adorable little girl," she said quietly. Sora nodded, but the girl's mind had gone elsewhere. She was patting herself, as if searching for pockets. Soon she was in a panic, tearing all around the area.

"Where are they?! My stuff is gone! Did you find a narrow tube full of paper anywhere near here?"

"I haven't seen anything like that," Kairi said. Sora and Riku nodded in agreement, which sent the girl to her knees, holding her face in her hands.

"No! I know I didn't leave them on Aetas! God, that stupid Xemnas!"

"Xemnas?!"

Amy flinched at the three shouts, then turned to face Sora.

"You know him?"

"Know him? We killed him!" Sora said.

Amy frowned. "How could he be dead when my entire world is gone?! It's because of him!"

Sora and the others fidgeted. They'd seen Xemnas fall with their own eyes. He'd disintigrated right in front of them, and Sora and Riku had almost been trapped in the world of darkness because of him. What the heck was going on?

"Argh...I hate that jerk so much!" Amy growled, still searching for her stuff. "When I get my hands on him, I'll-!"

"You'll do what to me?"

Everyone froze, then looked up at the sky. Xemnas was floating in the air just off the shore, smiling warmly.

"Amy, I've been looking for you everywhere! It's a good thing you sent out that signal, or I wouldn't have been able to find you."

"Signal?"

"That explosion of light. Now come home with me. We've missed you very much."

Sora glared at Amy. "Wait! You're on his side?!"

"No! Never! He took away everything I cared about!"

"Ah, not quite. I still have Ross."

Amy flinched at the name, then ran to the water's edge, tears in her eyes.

"Don't you dare hurt him! I don't care what you do to me, but leave him alone!"

"Oh my, Amy, you burn like the sun. Why don't we have a chat? Say, at my castle, now?"

Amy squeezed her eyes shut, then nodded. Xemnas smiled, then floated down so he landed gracefully on the shore. He took Amy's wrist in his hand and opened a dark portal, then pushed her through it.

"Xemnas!" Sora shouted, running forward. "What are you doing here?! I thought we killed you!"

Xemnas merely turned, smiled, then entered the portal himself. Only Riku kept Sora from running after him.

It took a while for Sora to calm down, but he'd managed to at least sit on the sand. Kairi looked up, counting the stars. There were only about fifteen left. She wanted to mention it, but thought better of it when Sora stabbed the ground with his Keyblade.

"Dammit! I thought we took out Xemnas, Riku!"

Riku nodded, containing his anger.

"So did I, Sora. Now we have to take him out again."

Everyone groaned simultaneously.

Suddenly, a small disk of light appeared over Sora's blade. In it was a hologram of King Mickey.

"Your majesty!" Sora and Riku said, surprise making their jaws drop.

The King waved happily, but immediately got serious.

"I know it's been a long time, guys, but we need your help again. The darkness has returned once again to the worlds. Did you see anything suspicious?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Sora groaned. "The stars went out again and Xemnas showed up here and kidnapped some girl we just found on the island."

"A girl? What was her name?"

Sora opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by Sunny.

"Her name was Amy! She's amazing! We held hands and the sky lit up!"

"Sora, who's this?"

"This is Sunny, your majesty," Riku said. Sunny waved when her name was mentioned. The King waved back.

"It's nice to meet you, Sunny. Anyway, Sora, that girl was a vital piece in Xemnas' new plot. You have to find her. Also, that girl left something of hers on the island where you stand. Those are your portals into other worlds. You won't need a gummi ship for this journey, but that doesn't mean you aren't going to other worlds. Once you find them, come back here and I'll explain."

With that, all for kids dispersed, searching every nook and cranny of the island. It only took a few minutes, but Sora was the only one who returned with something in his hands. He held a black tube of some kind, with a sort of shield magic on it. The King waved his small hand in a half circle and broke the spell of sealing.

"Those are the keys to the worlds you will visit. They will allow safe travel, free of heartless, but be careful. There are some worlds that are more fragile than others. Treat those items well." He gave everyone an encouraging look, then cocked his head to the side.

"Sora, is you face glowing?"

Sora's lips twitched in a grin.

"Yeah...kind of. It's for a festival that happens every ten years."

"We run the haunted island this year," Kairi said, shrugging. The King nodded, then smiled.

"Well, it would be odd if the Keyblade Masters were running around in costumes, so here."

The King waved his hand, and the teen's clothes changed. They were back in their normal clothes, the ones they'd worn during their adventures. Sunny wore a sleeveless, white T-shirt and jean with small patches all over the legs. Her belt held several smal vials of something black, but no one noticed them. They were focused on saying farewell to the King.

With that, the mouse disappeared, leaving only wisps of light where he'd once been projected. Sora pulled out the many papers stuffed into the narrow tube and gaped. Inside the tube were beautiful paintings, detailed to the point of perfection. He passed them around, his mouth agape, until everyone had seen them all. The ones that caused him the most pain were the last two; the ones of the World that Never Was and the simple black and purple vortex in the sky.

"I remember the last one perfectly," he mumbled. "That was the storm that destroyed the island."

"We all remember that one," Riku said softly, running his hand over the surface of the painting he held. "We remember both of them."

Silence fell over them as they studied the paintings, but Sunny said the one thing that had eluded everyone else.

"The mouse said you got to other worlds with a ship, right? Well, how do we get to these worlds without a ship?"

Everyone smacked a hand to their foreheads. It was an obvious problem.

"Anyone know how to do that?" Riku asked, rubbing his temple. Sora shook his head, but Kairi just stared at the painting of red flowers.

"Kairi, you okay?" Sora asked, touching his friend's shoulder. She frowned, then placed her own hand in the middle of the painting.

"Well, I was thinking we'd just walk into it, but I guess I was wrong."

"Ooh! Let me try!" Sunny said, jumping up to stand behind Kairi. The older girl shrugged and offered Sunny the painting, who laid it out on the sand and pressed her hand to the closest flower. Much to everyone's surprise, the little girl's hand disappeared into the painting, then emerged holding a bright red flower. She grinned from ear to ear.

"It's so pretty!" she said, holding it out for Kairi to see. Kairi took it and examined it carefully.

"Well, it's solid. No paint on it, and it doesn't feel like paper or cloth." She passed it to Sora, who then passed it to Riku. "It's real."

All three friends turned back to the painting and pressed their hands to the middle. Nothing happened.

"Nothing's happening…Sunny, will you touch the painting?" Sora asked.

Sunny grinned and poked the painting with a finger, causing everyone's hands to disappear. The change in the air was different. It was calmer, and there was a faint scent of wildflowers wafting through the painting.

Sora immediately removed his hand and got the other paintings together, slipping them into the tube again before rejoining his friends.

"I'm going through," he said. Riku and Kairi nodded as he placed his foot over the painting, but Sunny moved away, closing the painting.

"Sora, I'm going with you. Amy's my friend too, so I should help find her."

"But Sunny, it'll be dangerous where we're going."

"I know, but…I just have to go. I'll feel like an idiot if I just sit here. And what if there's something I can do to help? I won't just sit back and watch!"

"But what will happen when you disappear again? Where will you end up?" he retorted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I won't disappear. I've noticed that whenever I get tired, I disappear. I was feeling tired when the monsters came, but after I held Amy's hand, I felt like I'd become solid. As if I'd been mist before, but now I'm ice. I know I won't disappear anymore."

Sora was silent for a minute, then Kairi cut in.

"Sora, let her come. You saw what she did with that girl Amy. What if she could do that again?"

Again, Sora was silent

"Fine," Sora said after a minute, "she can come."

Sunny jumped up and down, grinning again. "Thank you so much, Sora! I promise I won't get in the way!"

Sora nodded, but was distracted by their next problem. How would they fit through that painting if they could only go through when Sunny was touching it?

"That is a problem," Kairi said, tapping her finger to her cheek. "We wouldn't want to risk getting separated, so what if we all held hands. And how would we get the painting back after we got through?"

"Argh! So many questions the King forgot to answer!" Sora said, messing up his already messy hair. "It's been a while since I've had to think this hard!"

"Well, start thinking, Sora," Riku said with a smirk, "because we don't want to waste too much time here."

"Right! So, I say we all go with Kairi's idea and hold hands while Sunny touches the painting. That way, when we're through, we can just pull her in after us."

"Alright, but that still leaves the painting here," Kairi said.

"No one can get through without Sunny's touch," Riku stated, poking the painting. His finger failed to disappear. "I say we head out now."

"Okay," Sora said, taking hold of Kairi's hand. Sora took hold of Riku's hand, and Sunny latched onto his. She then placed her hand on the painting and urged Kairi forward.

"Well, here we go! One…two…three!"

She stepped onto the painting and fell in with a splash, as if she'd fallen into water. Sora gripped her hand and fell in, pulling Riku, and then Sunny in after.

* * *

Blinding white light. A cage of some kind? He was curled up on the floor or something hard. He must've been there for a long time, since he had a really bad kink in his neck. He pushed himself upright, with his eyes still closed, and rubbed his aching muscles. He gradually opened his eyes, but shut them quickly when he saw white.

When his eyes adjusted, he saw he was in a dungeon of some kind. It was purple on the inside, contrasting to the white walls outside the small prison. There were no chairs, no beds, and the only sources of light were two crystals on opposite sides of the cell. It was spacious, but that didn't matter at the moment.

Ross stood up in a flash and wrapped his hands around the bars, trying to look as far as possible without shoving his face through the small openings. He only saw a white walkway that led away from him.

"So you're finally awake?" a familiar voice called from the right walkway. A figure began walking towards Ross, filling the teen with rage.

"Xemnas," he spat. "Where am I?"

"I thought you would know this place, Ross. This is the place I told you about. The silver castle surrounded by dark buildings. Your new home."

"Right. Any reason why I'm stuck in this cage?"

"Silly boy. It's because you sent that girl Amy away from this place. Why would you do that unless you were trying to betray me?"

Ross' mind worked as quickly as possible, trying to come up with a plan. It took him a few seconds, but then he answered, "I only did that because I tried to save her. In a world overrun by heartless, anyone was fair game for attack. What would've happened if she'd been hurt, or worse?"

Xemnas seemed to ponder it, then waved it away.

"It was an unnecessary thought. Nothing would've happened to her, but she's here now."

Ross' heart sank. He felt as if someone had lodged their fist in his throat. He couldn't breathe, and thinking about Amy was just making it worse. He swallowed his feelings and nodded, sitting down in front of the door.

Xemnas watched the boy's actions with hidden interest. How could he feel anything? It wasn't possible. Not unless something had happened while they were in Aetas. Ross was only supposed to watch the girl called Amy, and not contact her in any way. But that plan had failed from the first moment, when they'd met in front of the castle.

Ross sighed, but looked up to see Xemnas watching him.

"Are you going to let me out?"

"Will you betray me?"

"You have Amy. Why would I do anything other than your will?"

Xemnas nodded, then snapped his fingers. The prison disappeared, leaving Ross sitting on the walkway.

"You will serve me well, Ross. Put this on. You will fit in with everyone else." He threw a bundle of black fabric at Ross, who caught it easily. The bundle consisted of a long ankle-length black jacket and black boots.

"Welcome to the Organization XIII..."

* * *

Whoo! Chapter 6 is done! Next up, the Land of Red Flowers! Can't wait!


	7. Acrille, Field of Red Flowers

Hey readers! I'm back fro the dead! No, not really. My job just scheduled me for thirty hours a week, and I'm only years old! Argh! Yeah...anyway, I'm just sitting here thinking, I really need to do more writing! So let's go write! Forget schoolwork! Bah! Enough babble! Timre to read! XD

* * *

Chapter 7: Acrille, the Land of Red Flowers

The world inside the painting was a mix of the colors in front and behind the group, mixing into a purple shade in the middle. They could breathe, though it felt like they were being pulled through thick syrup. Even though they were being pulled along, they couldn't help but want to get through this as fast as possible. It was nothing like flying.

Sunny chanced a glance back and saw a square of light with the image of Destiny Island painted on it. The painting rolled up, sealing the exit, and flew towards Sunny's open hand. She caught it and kicked her legs as hard as she could, trying to pull everyone forward.

"The way we came is closed, so let's go!" she said. Everyone nodded and put on a burst of speed, reaching the silver disk of light ahead. The moment Kairi touched it, everyone was dragged forward through the portal and dropped on the hard ground below.

They lay there for a few minutes, just trying to figure out where they were. They were lying in a field of gold, filled with red poppies and long grass. The sky overhead was a vibrant blue, and the forest a ways away were a deep green, almost black despite the time of day.

Sora sat up and rubbed his head, his chin clearing the tall grass. This new place was just like the painting.

The others sat up soon after, then turned to Sunny. She held up the painting in her hand, which was the exact painting they'd stepped through to get where they were.

"How'd you get that back, Sunny?" Kairi asked. Sunny shrugged.

"When I looked back at the islands, the portal rolled up like a piece of paper and flew into my hand."

Riku sighed, then stood up to survey the area. "No sign of monsters. Or people, for that matter. Where is everybody? Shouldn't there be a form of life in this world?"

"You're right," Sora said, standing up. "There's hardly any noise."

Sunny and Kairi stood up as well, but heard something to the right of the group. Kairi edged closer to the group, but Sunny took a step towards the sound. She stared into the deep grass with curious eyes and took another step, then launched herself into the dense brush. Sora and the others turned to see Sunny wrestling with a small person, possibly a child, with bleach blonde hair and bright green eyes. She had cat ears and a tail, and her nails were pointed like claws.

"Sunny! What are you doing?!" Kairi shouted, pulling the children apart. Sunny struggled to get back at the little blonde girl, a frown creasing her small face.

"She was spying on us! I know she was!"

The little blonde girl hissed, her ears pressed back against her hair.

"You attacked me!" she spat. "No one attacks Mimi the Great! No one! Not even Ritsu!"

"Your name's Mimi?" Sora asked. The blonde girl froze, then attempted to scramble away. Riku took hold of the back of her shirt collar and pulled her farther away from Sunny, who was looking angry. Sunny relaxed, but kept her gaze trained on Mimi.

Mimi, on the other hand, wouldn't settle down. She tried furiously to scratch Riku into letting go, but he simply adjusted his arm so he was out of reach. No matter how hard she tried, he wouldn't let go.

"Let go!" she shouted, smacking him with her tail. He batted it away from his face.

"Oh calm down," he said, pinching her ear slightly. She flinched, but stopped struggling.

"You'll pay for…that…," she said, letting the end of it trail off. She was staring at them intensely.

"What?" Kairi asked, glancing behind her. "Is something wrong?"

"Y-you…your ears!" Mimi shrieked, her pale green eyes full of terror. She turned and sank her claws into Riku's leg, causing him to yelp in pain and let go of her. She scampered off into the dense golden field, leaving everyone bending over Riku. He was obviously in pain, since he was gritting his teeth.

"Put pressure on it!" Sora shouted. Riku clamped his hands over the five small holes, stanching the flow of blood, and Sunny and Kairi started freaking out.

"What do we do?!" Sunny cried.

"Use magic!" Kairi suggested. Sora blinked, then casted cure on the small cuts. They sealed up, leaving only small pink lines in their place. Sora and Kairi let out a sigh of relief, but Sunny's attention immediately went to the dense brush where the cat girl had disappeared into. She had an angry look on her face, but it quickly softened until it was a slight frown.

"She's gonna pay for hurting my friend," she mumbled, clenching her tiny fists. Kairi placed a hand on the little girl's shoulder, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"It's okay, Sunny. Riku's fine now."

"I know, but she didn't have to hurt him!" she said, brushing off Kairi's hand and running into the dense field. Kairi made to go after her, but Sora grabbed her wrist.

"Kairi, I'll handle Sunny. You stick with Riku."

Kairi hesitated, giving Sora the chance to go after Sunny without any resistance. He charged through the tall grasses, following the moving, black haired creature that was Sunny. She was fast for a little girl, but he was just as fast. He got to her as she emerged from the grass, looking for any trace of the cat girl named Mimi.

"Sunny, we lost her," he said, ruffling her hair. "We'll find her again, but right now, we need to figure out where we are."

Sunny looked at the ground grimly, then nodded.

"You're right. Let's go."

"No need. We came," Riku said, emerging from the grass, a worried Kairi in tow.

"Are you sure you should be up and walking?" she asked. "Shouldn't you rest first?"

"Nah…We've had wounds a lot worse, right Sora?"

"Yeah," Sora said, waving his hand dismissively. "We've had plenty of wounds, and look at us! Not a scar in sight!" He spun around, his arms held out. "You see, Kairi? We'll be fine."

Kairi frowned, then gave in with a shrug. "I guess I can't really win an argument with you," she said. She looked at Sunny and handed the tube of paintings to her. "You can hold onto this."

Sunny took the paintings with a grin, then frowned when something fell out of the tube.

"This isn't a painting," she said, holding up a paintbrush. "Where'd this come from?"

"I dunno," Sora said. "There weren't any paintbrushes in the tube before we left, were there?"

"Not that I remember," Riku said. Kairi shrugged. Sunny stared at the paintbrush with rapt attention, as if she'd never seen one before. It was something that called out to her, but she had no idea why. She quickly pocketed the small stick and looked back at her friends.

"Well, I think the cat girl went that way-" she pointed down a small trail to the right of the field, heading into a lighter part of the forest- "but I'm not entirely sure."

"What makes you thin she went that way?" Riku asked, ruffling the little girl's hair. Sunny swatted his hand away and gave him a goofy frown.

"Well, the other way is a cliff, so I just assumed," she said, jabbing her thumb in the other direction. The three teens looked to the left, noticing a large rocky area jutting upwards a little ways into the darker woods. They nodded and began their journey down the small trail, walking single file to give each other room. The trail was extremely narrow, and went on for a long time. The forest got thicker, but the light never seemed to waver.

After about ten or so minutes, they took a break, sitting down near a small creek to come up with a plan of action.

"So we got attacked by that little cat girl," Sora began.

"Mimi," Sunny cut in.

"Right. Mimi," he said, correcting himself. "Anyway, we got attacked, she ran, Sunny followed, and now we're trying to track Mimi. Is that right?"

"Yep," Kairi said with a nod. Riku leaned against a tree, his arms crossed over his chest and a frown plaguing his lips.

"There's one thing I'm not sure about, though," he said slowly. "Mimi mentioned something about our ears. What's up with that?"

Sora and Kairi shrugged.

"I don't know," the brunette said disappointedly. "She had cat ears, so maybe she was confused about that?"

"You're probably right," Kairi said, flicking some water at him. It hit him square in the face, causing him to grimace.

"That was cold!"

"I know."

"Oooh!" Sunny said, throwing them a goofy look.

They all broke out in laughter, and Sora almost fell over into the creek, holding his stomach.

"Hands up!"

The laughter died in a second. All four of them formed a circle, glaring into the forest.

"Show yourselves!" Riku shouted, itching to pull out his weapon.

Five feline children emerged from the bushes, makeshift spears and swords in their hands. The leader wore blue overalls and a poorly made cap, which covered most of his black hair. The other boy wore a grey sweater and tan pants, complimenting his brown hair nicely. One of the girls had black hair as well, and wore a loose white shirt that fell over one shoulder, as well as black shorts. The other girl wore a knee-length tan sweater that covered most of her skin. She had light brown hair. Then there was Mimi, wearing the same white long-sleeve mesh shirt and white shorts. And each pair of eyes that latched onto Sora and the gang were a bright gold color.

"That's them! The ones who attacked me!" Mimi shouted, cowering behind the boy in overalls.

"Whoa! Wait a minute!" Sora shouted, taking a step forward. "We didn't mean to attack you! You were spying on us, and we just got here!"

"Quiet!" the boy in overalls yelled, silencing everyone before panic broke out. "You say you're not from here, but then where are you from? Explain yourselves quickly, or we'll take you out!"

"Well, for starters, our world was attacked by the heartless."

"Heartless?" the boy repeated. "Are they the ones of the deep black?"

"Don't listen to them, Ritsu!" Mimi whispered, glaring daggers at Sunny. Sunny glared right back. Ritsu ignored Mimi and stepped towards Sora with wary, but also curious, eyes.

"Well, if you mean the ones that are black, yes. They feed on the shadows of peoples' hearts," Sora explained. Ritsu nodded, then lowered his spear.

"Richey! Leona! Kayla! Let's get these people to the village. We'll see if these people are really telling the truth."

The cat children gathered around Sora and the others and began herding them up the creek, eventually coming to a small village. It consisted of a few large huts that seemed to be strewn lazily around the area. There was no order to anything, but at least there were other cat people. There were no adults in sight. Only children.

Sora and the others were led to the largest hut and instructed to sit at one end of the large table taking up half the room. Ritsu and the other children sat at the other end, while the others gathered near the door, just to get a look at the newcomers. They eyed them with keen interest, but also with fear. They had never seen anyone without ears before.

"Welcome to Duun, earless ones," Ritsu said, taking a seat on the very end of the table. "We are confused about your appearance. Why do you not have ears?"

"Well, we were born this way," Sora said, twisting a spiked lock of his hair in his fingers.

"Interesting. And how is it that you came to Acrille?" Ritsu continued.

"Well, we just…ended up here. We were fighting the heartless back on our island, and we came here afterwards. We're not entirely certain how we got here," Sora explained, his words bordering on a lie. It was true he didn't know exactly how they got here, but he knew they'd come through the painting. They had to be careful when mentioning those, though. Some might not like it.

"And the heartless are the dark ones. The ones who hide in the shadows?"

"Yes," Riku said, beating Sora to the punch. Ritsu nodded slowly, then cracked a wry smile.

"Then would you be able to help us solve our problem?"

"Sure," Sora said with a smile. "We'd be glad to help. What's going on?"

"Well, for starters, we aren't the only people who live here. We had our parents here a while ago, but they began disappearing a while back."

"Disappearing? Like in a cloud of smoke?"

"No," Ritsu said, staring at a scar on his hand sadly. "It was peaceful here, and then they just started disappearing. Everyday, one adult would simply walk into the woods and vanish. No one has seen them since."

"Oh…I'm so sorry," Kairi said. Sunny averted her eyes and sniffed, feeling sorry for the parentless kids. She couldn't even remember her own, so she sort of knew how they felt.

Ritsu shook his head and looked Sora in the eyes, brilliant gold meeting iridescent blue.

"Will you help us?"

Sora didn't need a second opinion. He knew everyone's answer already.

"Definitely. We'll help you."

* * *

Black. All she could see was black. She blinked multiple times, but everything was the same.

Amy slid her hands over the surface she was laying on, trying to get her bearings. They didn't feel sand like the island; they met solid stone. It was smooth and cold and it gave her a sudden burst of energy. She jumped as a small electrical current forced its way through her body, and she ended up curled in a ball where she lay.

"Amy? Are you alright?" someone called. It had a familiar ring, but it sounded almost…dead.

"Who's there?" she replied, searching the dark for the voice's source.

"It's Ross."

Amy froze, her hand trembling in its current position of reaching out. That dead voice was Ross. Ross! She wanted so badly to cry out to him, but a small voice in the back of her head piped up first. If it really was Ross, then something had happened to him. He'd never sounded so tired before. He had always been happy in Aetas, so what had happened while she had been on the island?

The island! What had happened to that little girl she'd held hands with? Was she alright? And where were her paintings?! They were probably still on the island, if they'd come with her through the first portal.

"Amy, are you alright?" Ross repeated. Amy bit her lip and scooted away from Ross' voice. There was a sigh, and a click. Amy hooked her arms under her legs and stayed still, straining her ears to catch any noise. There was a sliding noise, then a set of footsteps approaching her. She tensed, ready to run away, but something grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward.

"It looks like you're healing nicely," Ross said. He must've been looking at her back.

"Let me go," she growled. Ross didn't relinquish his grip.

"I can't let you go, Amy. Xemnas wouldn't let either of us live."

"Maybe it's better that way," she said, jerking her hand away. Ross let go this time, but took a hold of her shoulders.

"Amy, listen to me," he whispered urgently. "I'm sorry I got you into this mess, but please hear me out. You have a power, and Xemnas wants to use it. You know your paintings? You can see into the future, and your paintings allow him to see it. But also, your paintings are portals to other worlds."

Amy sat there, listening to Ross babble on and on about power, and what she wanted to do was believe him. She wanted to tell him she understood his pain, but after what happened in Aetas, she might never pick up her paintbrush again. She never wanted that to happen again.

"Where am I?" she asked, interrupting Ross' explanation. He sucked in a sharp breath, then exhaled slowly.

"You remember that painting you did of that castle? How it wasn't floating over Aetas, but another city?"

Amy nodded.

"Well, we're inside that castle now, but I can't show it to you."

"Go ahead, Ross," a deep voice said over the intercom. "Show her my kingdom."

"Of course, Lord Xemnas."

Ross touched his index and middle fingers to Amy's eyes, then drew them away, taking the darkness with them. The room flared brightly, revealing itself to be completely white, with only a large crystal chandelier to be a light source. The clear crystals cast beautiful rainbows on the walls, but only three out of the four. The wall opposite the door was completely made of glass almost a foot thick. Its view was of a dark city with electric lights illuminating the ground far below. Small silver shapes danced through the streets, jumping hopefully towards the sky, only to land in crumpled heaps that accompanied the fall.

Amy stared at the scene below, her eyes huge. She gripped Ross' arm like vice on its highest setting, effectively cutting off all circulation. It was absolutely terrifying for her.

"How'd we get in my painting?!" she shrieked. Ross kept his eyes hidden behind his long bangs.

"We're not in your painting, Amy. We're-"

"We're in the world you created."

Amy turned to face Xemnas, who had joined them in the large room. He wore the same black outfit as Ross, but his face was more relaxed.

"Say what?" Amy said, frowning. Xemnas simply stared at her.

"We are in one of the paintings you made. You painted the portal, but somehow you kept it from me." He walked over to Ross. "And I believe you are to blame for that, right?"

Ross was silent, detaching from Amy. Xemnas gave him a cold look, one that hid the true anger.

"You refuse to answer?"

"If I did, would that deter you from your future actions?" Ross said quietly. Xemnas' expression twitched with anger, and a wave of darkness slammed into Amy and Ross, sending them toppling backwards towards the door.

"No, I suppose it wouldn't. But that doesn't mean you'll get off any easier. You disobeyed me, even though I ordered you to get them for me."

Ross coughed and stood up, helping the halfway conscious Amy to her feet. He didn't mind being tossed around, but he minded when it came to Amy.

"Not here, Xemnas."

"Yes, here, Ross," the silver haired man said, advancing upon them. "You disobeyed me, and you will take your punishment."

Xemnas grabbed Amy's arm and wrenched her away from Ross, pushing her away and trapping her in a circle of darkness. He towered over Ross, his gold eyes dark and angry, and made a clawing motion across Ross' chest. Even though he was at least two feet away, five huge claw marks sliced cleanly through Ross' flesh. Amy screamed. Ross didn't even flinch. Blood spattered across the floor as Xemnas shook the blood off his now huge, black hand, in the shape of a heartless' hand, but with cat-like claws.

"I think that's enough punishment. I hope you realize the consequences for disobeying me."

With that, he turned and walked out the door, shutting it without even turning around. The ring around Amy disappeared, and she launched herself at Ross, locking her arms around his neck.

"Oh god, Ross! I thought he was going to kill you!"

"It's fine, Amy," he said, wiping blood off his chest. The wound wasn't deep, but it stung when the cloth of his sleeve touched it. "I've lived in darkness for a long time. I've been through worse."

"That looks pretty bad! We have to get it looked at!"

"No. Give me a minute."

Ross pulled a thin, gold-filled vile from his pocket, uncorking it before he downed it in one gulp. The claw marks on his chest began disappearing, leaving only pink lines as their mark. He sighed and stood up, heading for the door.

"Amy, stay in this room. If you leave, you'll see things you'd rather you didn't. Stay here...in safety."

Then he left. Amy balled her hands into fists and bit the inside of her cheek, fighting back the urge to punch a wall. She was angry, unbelievably infuriated, but what could she do? Ross' advice before had been good, but now he was different. He seemed colder, if not frigid, and he was obeying Xemnas now. Where had that come from? His behavior was like a slave's. Was everything they'd been through in Aetas a lie? Was he really like this on the inside?

Amy relaxed her hands and walked to the window, resting her head on the thick glass. She wanted to go home, but where was home, now? Her world had been destroyed. She had nothing left. She didn't even know if Andy was still alive. What had happened to him? What about Irene? And the queen. Had she survived? Amy shook away her thoughts. No one could've survived that storm.

She heard the door open quietly, then something slid across the floor and hit her foot. She looked down when the door closed. A small black box lay at her feet, a white label on the top displaying her name in cursive writing.

She picked it up and opened it, running her fingers over the numerous pastels inside. Every color ranging from vibrant red to subtle purple rested inside. They sang harmoniously, calling out to be used. Amy looked around the room, watching shapes and people, shadows and objects wavering just behind the walls. She closed her eyes, trying to blink them away, but they just intensified, beginning to scream at her. She tried to resist it, but the urge to create was too great to ignore. She picked up the black pastel and began her work, unaware of the figure watching her from an alcove outside the large window.

* * *

Yay! Another chapter done! I'm glad I finally got some time to write. Sorry for any spelling error, btu this computer is wack. It's getting closer to Halloween, people! Make awesome costumes and freak out the neighbors! XD


	8. White

Hey readers! Sorry it's taken so long to get another chapter up. I've been doing a lot of stuff lately, and my job's been driving my up a wall. Gah...I slept so well last night...

Sunny: Come on, Wing! Chin up! You're alright!

Amy: Seriously, Wing, take it easy sometimes. You're going to make yourself sick or soemthing.

Me: I _was_ sick yesterday. I felt horrible, despite all the candy I'd eaten. Ugh...I even missed my friend's party! I'M SORRY, CRISSY!! (bawls) I REALLY DID WANT TO GO!!

Sunny: The Wing Alchemist doesn't own the Kingdom Hearts franchise or any relating things. She only owns the random worlds and characters you've never heard of. Amy! Get the Doctor Who magazine! She's gonna need something earth-shattering!

* * *

Chapter 8: White

Sora and the gang had spent the night in Ritsu's house, unable to go anywhere else. Wherever they went, they were be pestered by villagers wanting to see their ears. It had been funny at first, but it got to be a little out of hand after about five minutes. Some of the cat-kind had begun freaking out; screaming something about a nightmare. But Ritsu had explained that the people of his village had begun having nightmares about a white dog. Usually, those people were the ones to disappear next. He'd gone to bed after that, a nervous smile pulling at his lips.

Sora awoke first the next morning, feeling as if he'd had his head pressed between two stones. His temples throbbed uncontrollably and he felt off kilter, as if he could regain his balance. He'd slept on a futon on the floor in the living room while the girls had taken the small couch, and it had been very uncomfortable.

When it passed, he busied himself with what was to come. He searched his mind for some kind of clue as to what might have been making the cat-kind disappear. He imagined the white dog, but dismissed it quickly. If it were a heartless, it would be black, not white. It was probably just a coincidence among the villagers. Maybe just a stray, wolf.

He ran his fingers through his hair, feeling his spikes settle back into their place. He never bothered to brush it. He liked it better this way anyway.

"Good morning."

Sora looked to his right, seeing Sunny staring up at him with her brown and blue eyes. Her hair was as messed up as his, though his was always that way.

"Good morning," he replied with a smile. "Glad to see you're awake."

"I've been awake for a long time. I was actually playing around with Amy's paintbrush." She held out her hand, which was covered in black lines. "I don't know how, but it doesn't need ink."

"Seriously? Let me see," he said, carefully pulling the blankets off his legs as he crossed them

Sunny handed him the brush and he flicked the course fibers across his skin. Nothing happened. He frowned and handed it back, motioning for her to use it. She nodded and copied him, but this time thin black lines formed wherever the brush touched. Sora shook his friends awake and pointed to Sunny, who was now drawing small designs on her clothes that dried instantly, then faded away.

"How'd you do that?" Kairi asked, her hand covering her mouth. Sunny grinned.

"I dunno, but it's really fun!"

"And it only works for you?" Riku asked. She nodded.

"Sora tried to use it, but it shut off. Too bad I can't use it as a weapon."

Sora, Riku, and Kairi looked as if they'd been slapped with a wet towel. Sunny still didn't have a form of protection. She'd have to stay behind.

Just then, the black haired cat girl burst in and ran into Ritsu's room, screaming his name. She came back out a minute later, completely frazzled.

"Have you seen Ritsu?!" she shrieked.

"No. Not since last night," Riku said. "Why? Did something happen?"

The girl looked as if she were about to cry, but she led them outside, into the village square. There was a crowd gathered around something large, and no one was willing to get close to it.

"Hey, Leona!" the brown haired boy from before called, running up to them.

"Hey, Richey. Did you find him?"

"No," Richey said with a grimace. "No one's seen him since they showed up." He was glaring at Sora and his friends. "Did they see the message?"

"I was about to show them. Keep Mimi away from them."

"Like I'd set her on them. She'd gouge their eyes out with her bare hands. Everyone knows she had a huge crush on Ritsu, and…" He trailed off there, looking away. "Anyway, just tell them to get it over with."

Leona nodded and turned to Sora's group.

"You should see this," was all she said before pushing them towards the crowd, which gave them a ten foot bubble of space. At first, it looked as if someone had scribbled something on the ground, but the scratches began forming words, which soon turned into sentences. Well, _a_ sentence.

_You leave or they die._

Sora frowned. What the heck did that mean?

"Who wrote this?" Riku asked the crowd. They just glared at him, then continued to stare at the words as if they'd spring to life and walk away.

"We didn't see," Leona said, coming up beside them. "It was here in the morning. Our patrol found it. It's from the white dog."

The crowd immediately dispersed at the mention of the dog, mumbling about chores and duties to perform, unwilling to talk or even think about the white menace.

"How do you know?" Kairi asked. Leona shrugged.

"Who else would write it? We're not pranksters. We live by a code of honor, and we always confess to our mistakes, no matter the punishment in store."

Kairi nodded, but didn't accept it. Everyone lied once in their life, no matter what race you were. It was common knowledge. Like it was written into everyone's genetic code. Very few could avoid it.

"So let's get rid of this monster!" Sora said, punching the air. "We'll rescue all those people ourselves!"

Leona sighed, then shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but you have to leave, like the note says."

"What?!" Sunny cried. "Why?!"

"If you don't leave, our people will be killed!" Leona shouted, her eyebrows knitting together furiously. "It's for the best! Believe me, I know we're not capable of saving them, but we have to do something! We can't rely on the strength of another!"

The heroes' expressions went blank. So it was a matter of pride. Forget the lives at stake, these people just wanted to do it themselves, no matter how bleak the future was for them. At the rate they were going, they'd all be killed before long. They were just prolonging the inevitable.

"Leave now," Leona said, pointing to the forest they'd entered the village from. "Don't come back."

They did, but they left with blank faces and heavy hearts. Sora hated it so much. They had to save those people, even if they didn't want it. It wasn't right to ignore the pleas of those who are in trouble.

Kairi ended up voicing his thoughts perfectly.

"I know, Kairi, but what can we do? They don't want us interfering with their friends."

Kairi looked at the ground and kicked a small rock, downcast.

"That's never stopped you before, Sora," she whispered.

Sora blinked. She was right. He'd always jumped into things head-first, then thought about things later. Peaceful island life had made him forget. He took out his Keyblade and faced the village.

"Right! Let's get going!"

The group turned and headed away from the village, disappearing deep into the marshy trees down the path.

* * *

As the group headed deeper into the woods, the light began draining away from everything. Lush green plants twisted upward in the darkness, as if clawing their way towards the light they couldn't reach. Tiny pairs of eyes watched them from the bushes as if they were predators hunting their prey. It freaked Sunny out a lot, but Sora held her hand the whole way through the marsh.

The mud sucked them down into the earth with every step, but when the caves came into view, everyone doubled their pace, eager to get onto solid ground. When they reached it, they leaned against the rocky wall happily, resting their feet.

"I really hate mud now," Kairi said with a sigh of relief, staring out at the muddy swamp. Sora scraped the bottom of his shoes on the dry ground and gripped his Keyblade, staring into the darkness ahead of them.

"Forget that for now. We have to save those poor people. And fast."

They headed down the dark tunnel, but they were soon enveloped in darkness to deep to see through.

"I'll cast fire," Riku said. A small flicker of flame sparked in his hand, illuminating the passage. Sunny stared in amazement.

"I wanna try!" she shouted, jumping up and down. But even with Riku's guidance, she couldn't cast a spell.

Sora sighed and ruffled the little girl's hair. He remembered the first time he'd learned magic. He'd run around Traverse Town, guns blazing, setting everything flammable on fire. Those had been the hardest times of his life. Being separated from Riku and Kairi. Riku and Kairi were thinking the same thing. That first year had been hard, but the second year had been hard as well, if not more.

A loud howl reverberated off the tunnel walls, ripping a hole in the sound barrier. For a second, everyone went deaf, but when they got their hearing back, they heard a child's scream.

"Ritsu!" everyone shouted. They set off down the passage at a run, following the shouts and cries of several other people.

"You beast! Let him go!" "He's a child!" "Take one of us instead!" "Don't hurt him!" "Give him back!"

The shouts continued until the heroes reached a fork in the passage. Whimpers could be heard from the right tunnel, but the left tunnel gradually got wider until it opened up into a larger room. Flashes of white could be seen beyond it.

"Sunny and I will help the people get out," Kairi said quickly, pushing Sora and Riku towards the left passage. "You go help Ritsu! Hurry!"

Before either of the boys could protest, Sunny and Kairi had disappeared down the other tunnel, their footsteps echoing eerily off the stony walls. Kairi had her mind set to help the prisoners, since she wasn't much help on the battlefield. She knew well enough to stay out of a big fight, but that didn't always stop her. But this was one of those times were she knew what she had to do.

The dark tunnel opened up into a small cavern. A small stream of sunlight seeped down through a small crack in the ceiling. About twenty or so of the cat-kind were stuffed in here, pressing themselves onto the wall, shrinking away from several black creatures slashing at them. Kairi dispatched them quickly.

When the prisoners saw Kairi and Sunny, they sprang forward, reaching towards them.

"Oh my goddess! The angels have come for us! We are to die soon!"

"No, no!" Sunny cried. "Were here to get you out of here! Please come with us! We'll get you back to the village!"

The cat-kind gazed at Sunny with sheer disbelief, then threw their hands up.

"The angels choose to save us! Praise to the goddess!"

Sunny was about to tell them that she and Kairi weren't angels, but she didn't want to let them know until after they'd been saved. They were all still in danger. She could only hope Sora and Riku were doing well in their search for Ritsu.

**Back with Sora and Riku…**

Sora and Riku sprinted down the widening tunnel and into the next room, their Keyblades at the ready. They met several heartless on the way, but nothing they couldn't handle.

The new room was large and in a rectangular shape, but rounded at the corners. There was a huge crack in the ceiling, a sign they were close to the cliff top. It looked sturdy, but one misfired spell and the whole place could cave in.

But that wasn't the main problem. Near the back of the room was a sort of crater. It was large and wide, and filled with bones and other…undesirable things. It took most of Sora's self control to keep from vomiting. The only thing Riku could do was look away, but something caught his eye.

"Sora, look. I think I see Ritsu," Riku said, pointing to a dark mass among the white bones and decaying flesh. Sora squinted, then grinned.

"Ritsu! Ritsu, wake up!"

The boy groaned, then stirred slightly.

"Ritsu, come on! Wake up!"

Ritsu's eyes fluttered open, searching for Sora and Riku. When he found them, he sat up, rubbing his head.

"Sora? Riku? Wha…ow…," he mumbled, clutching two small gashes on the side of his head, just below his ear. "Where are we?"

"We're in a bunch of caves not too far from the village. We've sent Kairi and Sunny to help the others," Riku said, kneeling at the lip of the crater. He stretched his hand out, covering half the distance between them. "Come on! We have to hurry!"

Sora stretched his hand out as well, urging the boy forward. Ritsu, despite the fear that plagued his mind, reached for them, grabbing both their hands with his small ones. Together, Sora and Riku pulled him out of the hole and into safety.

"Are you okay, Ritsu?" Sora and Riku asked. Ritsu was about to answer when he abruptly turned around. They waited a moment as he retched into the crater (after seeing what he'd been lying in), then began their trip back to the swamp.

They barely reached the door when a small sound reached Ritsu's ears. He twisted around, searching the shadows back by the crater, then went rigid, his ears pinned back against his hair. Sora and Riku watched him search the room, alarm creeping slowly into their minds.

Suddenly, a white flash streaked with a few feet of everyone, making them jump back. Ritsu scrambled back towards the exit, plainly frightened. Sora and Riku pulled out their swords and kept their attention focused on the blur.

"Ritsu, go find Kairi and Sunny!" Riku shouted. "Stick with them and head back to the village!"

Ritsu barely managed a nod before he shot off down the tunnel.

"You cost me my meal," an almost musical voice said, sounding somewhat childish. "How dare you."

"Who's there?" Sora shouted, glancing out of the corner of his eyes at the shadow. "Show yourself!"

The white blur reappeared, revealing itself to be a large, white wolf. It was at least the size of a behemoth heartless, and it had shimmering white fur. Its eyes were a brilliant yellow, and its teeth were sharp and slightly parted, as if smiling. The heartless symbol was visible on its chest, but it was off. The colors had been inverted.

"What is that?!" Sora shouted. Riku merely shook his head.

"I don't know, Sora.

The wolf prowled the area, its three tails twitching anxiously.

"I am one of the White Ones. I am the result when an incompatible heartless and Nobody are combined without the use of a heart."

"So you're just a white heartless?"

The wolf grimaced, but nodded. "I guess you could say that. But it is most insulting. I am no savage beast like the heartless, and yet I am more graceful than a Nobody. I have the skills of both and no weaknesses." It sighed, raking its claws in the ground anxiously, dredging up mounds of earth and dirt in the process. "I grow impatient. Let us dance to see who is the more graceful."

It leapt at the boys in a flash, its fangs bared in hunger. Riku launched an attack on its face, but it did barely any damage. The wolf howled and swung its head at the boy, catching him completely off guard. There was a resounding crack, and Riku fell to the floor in a heap, blood dripping from a gash on his side where a fang had nicked him.

Sora, who had taken his time in avoiding the beast, finally launched a full scale Strike Raid on the beast's backside. It howled angrily and bought a large paw down towards Sora, who quickly twisted out from under it.

"Sora! Riku!"

Then there was a shriek.

Sora ducked swipe after swipe of the wolf's paws as he made his way towards the tunnel. Sunny and Kairi stood in the entrance, their faces wracked with fear.

"Get down!" Sora shouted, twisting around so he parried another swipe. His Keyblade locked with the wolf's claws, and so began a contest of strength.

"Kairi, get Riku out of here! Sunny, I want you to stay back!"

Kairi nodded and made a mad dash for Riku, who was just beginning to regain consciousness. Sunny, on the other hand, merely stared wide-eyed at the beast before her. It was a beautiful creature, but a creature of hate, no less. Sora was fighting it, so it had to be stopped. It was evil.

Reaching into the case of paintings, she pulled out the paintbrush and held it up. It was burning in her hand, screaming to be used.

"What do I do?" she whispered.

As if in response, the paintbrush glowed red and lurched forward, pulling Sunny along with every movement. An image flashed before her eyes, followed by several others in a dizzying pattern. And yet, she remembered every symbol as if she'd always know them. One group particularly stood out. They were exactly the same, a small curved line, but the four main elements flashed behind each one; One for fire, one for ice, one for lightning, and one for water.

"Sora, cast a spell!" Sunny shouted, focusing in on the fire spell. Sora frowned, but jumped back, landing easily next to Sunny.

"Why? What spell do you need?"

"I need fire! Do it fast!" She took hold of Sora's wrist.

"Alright!" he shouted. He let a burst of magic fly from the tip of his Keyblade, heading straight for the wolf, who grinned savagely.

"Magic doesn't work on me, little meal! You'd have a better chance of hitting me with a dead stick!"

Sunny frowned and swung the brush like a sword. A thick black line of ink hung in the air for a split second, then plastered itself to the wolf's white face and hide, stretching from its nose to its tail. The wolf growled and rolled over angrily, but only succeeded in smearing the paint over onto its back.

"What is this?!" it barked. Sunny used the brush to connect the fire to the paint, then stood back.

As soon as the wolf was touched by the fire, every inch of fur covered in ink burst into flames, as if the ink had been oil instead. It howled in pain and shook itself, trying to put out the flames, but only succeeded in strengthening it. Soon the whole creature was a ball of fire. It howled several times, then finally fell to the stone floor, a mere pile of ash.

Riku and Kairi joined Sora and Sunny as they stood over the wolf's remains.

"Is it...dead?" Kairi asked. Sora nodded slowly, then placed a hand on Sunny's head.

"Yeah…It's gone now."

Sunny stared sadly at the paintbrush in her hand. She'd killed something. Something that had been living, though not quite whole. She turned her attention to her hands. They were covered in black ink.

As if reading her thoughts, her friends surrounded her, smiling warmly.

"You were amazing, Sunny," Sora said, ruffling her hair.

"Incredible is more like it," Riku said. "I've never seen a fighting style like that."

"You were a big help, Sunny," Kairi said quietly, giving the little girl a hug. "Thank you."

Sunny began sniffling, but they soon turned into full-blown sobs. She could barely say anything, but everyone knew what was troubling her. They'd all experienced it before; the pain of killing something that had once been alive. It was painful and sad, but you had to look at the big picture sometimes. If you didn't get rid of the problem, it would continue to hurt others. It was a hard, but they'd all had to do it to save the ones they love.

"Let's head back now," Sora said.

No one disagreed.

* * *

"On behalf of all my people, as well as those killed by the white one, I thank you," Arlin, the new village elder, said proudly. He stood tall and broad shouldered at the end of the table opposite Sora and his friends. Arlin was the last strong man of the cat-kind, and he'd been made the leader in the place of Ritsu's grandfather, the late Lillo. Ritsu was actually quite fond of Arlin, so he didn't mind. He'd said he needed time to mourn his grandfather, and then he'd left the house.

"I'm am truly sorry for the young ones' actions. They were truly out of line, but you must understand. We are a proud race."

"We understand," Sora said, nodding, "and we don't blame them for not trusting us."

"Yes. You are most certainly different. You have no ears."

"We do, but they're right here," Sunny said, pulling back her hair and turning her head to the side. Arlin blinked, then laughed loudly.

"Hahaha! Then you are from somewhere else, for certain. But where, if may I be so bold as to ask?"

"Let's just say, we're not from anywhere nearby."

"They dropped out of the sky!"

Everyone jumped and turned to the door, staring at the shaking form of Mimi. Her green eyes were blazing angrily, but her cheeks were stained with tears.

"Mimi, what are you saying? That these people just fell from the sky?"

"Yes!" the little girl shouted. "They're not from our world!"

Arlin frowned at this statement, but nodded with a sigh.

"I assumed as much."

"Huh?! You knew?" Kairi asked. Arlin nodded.

"You're clothes, not to mention your ears, were a dead giveaway."

Riku sighed, then said, "I knew it."

Arlin smiled and took Mimi's hand.

"I knew, Mimi, but that's no reason to yell at them. I know you want to tell them something, so please say it now. I'm sure our heroes are in a hurry."

Mimi bit her lip hard for a minute, then tried to speak, but ended up fleeing the house, her bushy tail between her legs. Arlin sighed.

"She was always the quiet one. She only recently started acting like this."

"Do you know what started it?" Sunny asked.

"I honestly have no idea. She was quiet when the disappearances began, and now she's like this."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out soon," Kairi said.

"I hope so," Arlin replied, rubbing his temple exasperatedly.

"Sora, look," Sunny said, holding up the tube of paintings. It was glowing faintly from the inside. Sora blinked, then threw Arlin an apologetic look.

"It looks like it's time to go."

"I figured as much," Arlin said with a grin. "Good luck on your journey."

"Thank you. Good luck with running the village," Sora replied.

"Of course."

After several handshakes, Sora and his friends left the village and headed towards the field of red flowers. Sunny skipped ahead several feet, the paintings thumping against her back like a drumbeat. Seeing the rescued villagers' happy faces had been a huge mood booster, and now she caught herself humming a little tune she had no idea she knew. Everything was turning up now, and she couldn't help but be curious about what was coming up next. Where would they end up?

They reached the field after a while, and they immediately pulled out the next painting; the painting of the jungle.

"This looks fun," Sora said with a grin. "It reminds me of a world from my first year of adventuring. It's where I met Tarzan and Jane."

"I remember him," Kairi said, looking back on her memories of the time she stayed in Sora's heart. "He was funny."

"Let's go," Riku said, placing the painting on the ground.

"Wait!"

Everyone turned towards the way they'd come, surprise clear on their faces. Mimi stood among the trees, fiddling with her blonde hair. Her eyes darted constantly, barely meeting anyone's gaze.

"I…I'm sorry I…I got mad at you. I just…I just wanted to be noticed, I guess. I don't know…" She fidgeted constantly until Sunny stood up and walked over to her and stuck her hand out. Mimi flinched and stared at Sunny with wide eyes, then, realizing what the other girl was offering, took her hand.

"You forgive me?"

Sunny averted her eyes stubbornly, but smiled.

"Yeah. We're buddies now."

Mimi beamed as she dropped Sunny's hand.

"Thank you. I feel a lot better now."

Sunny nodded, then whispered in Mimi's ear, "Go tell Ritsu how you feel. You'll feel even better."

Mimi nodded and raced off into the woods, her bushy tail even bushier. Sunny skipped back to the others and took their hands.

"What'd you say to her?" Sora asked. Sunny shook her head and smiled.

"Oh, nothing! Let's go!"

* * *

What have I done?

That question whirled though Amy's head as she stared at the wall she'd been drawing on earlier. A couple hours before, she'd simply drawn what she'd seen pulsating behind the white wall. Simple drawings of people she didn't even know. Eventually, she must've dozed off.

When she'd come to, the room was dark, save for the faint light of the chandelier. Somehow every inch of the walls had been colored black, and there were several pictures and shapes on each. Large, white creatures prowled their respective lands, devouring small pink crystals in the shape of hearts. The five were followed by waves of darkness. Every living thing they touched died on the spot. Trees withered, corpses decayed in the streets and among the trees, and all the light drained away.

Slowly, she turned around, taking in all the damage she'd done. The wall with the door was black again, but this time there was a small group of people surrounded by light, with the great white beasts looming over them. They stood fast against the darkness, but it seemed completely useless from her point of view. She turned again, this time facing the wall to the right of the door.

She screamed.

Staring at her, with blazing red eyes, was a beast so horrifying, so utterly frightening, that she actually fell into a dead faint.

"Amy?! What happened?!" Ross shouted over the intercom. He could barely see anything through the tinted glass. He'd fallen asleep for a few hours, maybe even twenty four, but when he'd been jarred awake by Amy's scream, nothing was visible through the small viewing window by the door. Something had happened.

He was out of his chair and at the door in seconds. He could feel fear and bile rising in his throat, but he pushed it back and opened the door. He could barely see anything, but he saw Amy's limp form lying in the middle of the room. He rushed to her.

"Amy! Amy, what happened?!" he shouted as he tried to bring her around. She stayed limp, but at least she had a pulse.

As he picked her up and headed for the door, he stopped to look at the walls. He held back a cry as the creatures on the wall stared back blankly. He'd never giving Amy any painting supplies, so how did she manage this? Had someone given her supplies after he'd left? He'd been gone for two minutes! It'd probably been Xemnas, but still…

He shook his head and helped Amy out of the room, failing to see the white faces on the wall stare after him, their eyes wide and hungry and full of life. All except the wolf.

* * *

Booyah! Ya gotta love the cliffhangers!

Sunny: Sometimes I wonder what you're thinking when you write this stuff...

Me: Sunny, my dear...you really don't want to know.

Sunny: Aw, come ooooooooon!!! I wanna know!!!

Me: No. Anyway, it'll probably be a while until I finish Chapter 9, so please forgive me! So, just to give you an idea of what's to come, I've decided to give you a sort of a preview. No dialogue or anything, but take it or leave it.

Next time in the Sun's Awakening: Our group of heroes lands in the marshy lands of Donturo Jungle! Sunny's powers begin to fully awaken as she learns how to axcess the powers within the brush. On the other side, Amy's powers begin to run wild, and Ross begins devising a way of setting her free without getting either of them killed. What will happen to our beloved friends?! Tune in next time!


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